Sleepless Rain: A Jacob and Nessie Story
by NovemberBabe17
Summary: What happens when a friendship is put to the test? Can it survive? Can it change into something more? Can you fight against those you try to hurt your loved ones when your only reason for happiness has put their own life on the line for you? Please, R&R.
1. Dreams

Hey guys! I'm NovemberBabe17! And welcome to the first chapter of _Sleepless Rain_, my Nessie and Jacob fanfic about their lives together as they discover and fight the unknown.

I will be updating one chapter twice a week, probably Tuesdays and Fridays due to my hectic schedule.

The chapter's titles, if you have not already noticed, are song titles that I have found to match the chapter's information gist. Also, with many of the chapters, you may find that the song itself has a beat and tempo that matches the mood of the chapter. I hope I will have many of those. And when this story is eventually complete, I will post a document giving all the chapter's names again but they are then paired with the band or artists who created them if you have not already deciphered them yourself.

Anyway, this story takes place seven years after Breaking Dawn, Nessie now having the appearance of sixteen year old girl and Jacob is her best friend...or is he becoming something more. She and Jacob are beginning to realize their true feelings for each other after being the insufferable, best friends for all these years.

But there is trouble in Forks once again, causing Jacob and Nessie to run and save themselves from the enemy. They must leave their lives back home and their families themselves and stick together to survive and fight off the dangers...but will they lose.

Together, Jacob and Nessie venture to find trouble, answers, life, and love most enticing. Enjoy!

_**Chapter One: Dreams**_

I was running. That much I knew. I was racing the unknown, my legs bounding along the pavement deeper into the dark night, far away from something that I knew wanted to hurt me, kill me.

And as I ran, I cried. The tears blurred my vision but I kept going strong, because I knew I was being depended on. Every step I took decided someone's fate, someone dear to me that I loved very much. And so I ran even faster.

Behind me, I kept feeling like I was being followed, even hunted. Out of my peripheral, whatever it was, had grown a liking to lurking in the shadows, it's black, cold presence making my breath steam into the freezing night.

I had a strange sense of déjà vu, as well. The street I was running down was lined with familiar buildings, and even street signs whose names I couldn't read, I could only sense. But I had never been to this place I was dreaming of, that was the strangest part.

I soon grew weak and cold, chills ran up my spine and I began to feel moisture on my exposed skin. Rain. In the distance I could see nothing but the advancing rain; of course, I was dumb and scared enough to run into it.

Within moments I couldn't even see a hand in front of my face. I was soaked and shivering, all the while this heartbroken sound echoed through the blackness. Very quickly I realized it was me. I was sobbing so hard my breath was hitching in odd places, my voice cracking and jumping. I was panicking.

There were no more streetlights now, only black pavement. I could see blazing city lights and skyscrapers in the distance and miles of evening traffic in the surrounding city, I could even hear the car horns blaring angrily from where I stood.

Suddenly, I saw the cloaked figure once again, lurking in the shadows of the black. I whipped around wildly trying to follow it, and instead of disappearing, waiting for my next move, it sauntered towards me.

It ran faster than the speed of sound, every nerve in my body was locked into place. I could not move, I could not scream. No one would hear, anyway.

Before I knew I was face-to-face with the figure. I found that he was not only in a black cloak. The man was in a stylish pinstripe suit, a silk cape draped around his shoulders.

He was pale with angular features. I studied his blank face, unable to locate a name or a place I had seen him before. He was a complete stranger. His eyes were cold and bleak, his lips set into a hard, straight line as he scowled at me.

"W-who are y-you?" I asked. My voice was thick and unsteady with the cold air closing in around me.

The man did not answer.

"I said who are you?" I repeated, my voice stronger and little more forceful. The man remained silent. He wasn't even breathing.

For what seemed like an eternity, we stared at each other, the wind and rain billowing around us, soaking our clothes and faces.

He continued to glare at me, and I gaped back so petrified that I began to cry even harder, but I made myself keep quiet while the warm moisture leaked down my cheeks.

For a split second I thought I saw his face melt with sympathy and he raised his hand almost to touch my cheek, my something stopped him.

The man turned around and looked into the blackness behind him, someone was coming.

He turned back to face me, and before I could register a thing, his face went rigid and angry and I saw his hand whip up to my neck and grasp it tight. I let out a scream but I didn't hear it escape. His cold, hard hand squeezed and squeezed until I couldn't even see him in front of me, all the while, I was thrashing around. But his vise was too tough.

My eyes were blurred with tears and pain, but I saw the man's face somehow. He looked regretful and scared and I felt an urge to comfort him. What the hell was wrong with me, this man was strangling me. And as soon as that thought crossed my mind, I felt his grip tighten. And within seconds I felt myself fall under.

The last thing I heard was high, piercing cackle rip through the air, echoing in my ears.

I woke with a start, my heart pounding and my ears ringing with the ghost of the terrifying laugh that echoed through my dream.

I opened my eyes. Sunshine leaked through the curtains, I was safe. I was in my bed, all tangled in my bed sheets. I wriggled around experimentally, I was definitely tangled.

As more so the blanket seemed to stick to me, my back was soaked with sweat. I felt flushed with heat.

I unsteadily sat up and began to untangle myself from my sheets, which took several minutes of me plucking and pulling the material out of every curve possible. I then was free and I felt a faint morning breeze waft through the window and licked at my warm face.

My erratic breathing eventually slowed to its normal, already quick pace and I began to feel like nothing was wrong. It was just a dream. Nothing could hurt me.

However, my mantra was then interrupted by a loud knock on my door.

"Renesmee?" It was Alice. Oh god, what does she want now?

I groaned quietly and pulled the covers over my head again. I couldn't take another day of preparations.

I couldn't wait for all this to be over so Alice can go back to her normal, chipper, quirky self and we all can get some sleep-well, figuratively speaking, of course, I'm the only one who sleeps besides the wolves. Lucky Jacob, he doesn't have to endure Alice's rain of terror. The sudden remembrance of his name made me immediately feel better. It was strange how his very name dit that to me. It was as though Jacob lit up my whole day.

"Go away!" I complained, my voice muffled by the comforter. After several more knocks on the door I grunted and covered my head with my pillow.

"Five more minutes, Alice, please!" I cried. But she persisted banging on my door. Why couldn't she just go without me?

I angrily sat up in my bed, my curls in mess and sticking to my face. I threw my pillow at the door. Alice huffed with impatience; I could imagine her standing on the other side of the door with her hands on her hips.

"Nessie, we're running on schedule. We have to get going right now!" I heard the doorknob jiggle but I had locked it last night purposely so in the morning Alice couldn't come barging in, forcing me into another one of her frenzies.

But god knew she could destroy anything in her path. What are a few inches of wood and plaster to a vampire?

"I will break the door down if you don't let me in," she threatened. "Esme will have a fit, you know. She worked very hard on your room and you wouldn't want to do that to her."

I sighed and said sarcastically, "Then don't break down the door to begin with."

"Renesmee!" she yelled.

"Alice!" I repeated in her same tone.

When I didn't hear a respond from her I thought she claimed defeat, I felt slightly appeased. I then again lay down and I huddled in my blanket, feeling victorious.

I wasn't going to ditch Alice's whole plan for the day, god knew she'd kill me. I was smart enough to understand the consequences of denying someone like my aunt Alice. I shuddered at the thought. But I just didn't understand why she had to start it at six in the morning.

I knew not to deny Alice of her desires, but at the same time I hated being her guinea pig. Bella was much more graceful about it than I am now. I can't imagine the kind of stupor my mother's in right now, anyway. She's probably daydreaming about my father trying to pass the time by, while Alice fusses over her outfit.

Although as the moments passed I actually felt less tired and couldn't fall back into my sleepy trance I had five minutes before. So I groaned and threw the covers off me and half sprinted down the stairs.

In the living room I found a small group of people rushing around. Alice was moving at the speed of light, Rosalie trailing behind her. Across the room on the couch were Edward and Bella. They were sitting close discussing something important in low, hushed voices.

When I came into the room everyone looked up nervously, even Alice stopped right in her tornado.

"Well look who finally decided to join the living," she said, pursing her lips, taking in my disheveled appearance.

I smiled sarcastically, "Good one."

She allowed a small smile and I knew I was forgiven for my actions this morning. Not very many people could stay angry with me. I never understood why, though. They said that it was my specialty: making people forget their troubles and making them feel loved and whole.

But then suddenly her face went rigid and distraught, like she was remembering something nauseating and awful. My eyes widened and I stepped forward almost to catch her if she fell.

"What's wrong?" I asked, all jumpy.

She stiffened and shook her head with unnecessary force, "Nothing. Eat some breakfast, get ready, and meet us back at Carlisle's. We have a huge, busy day today." Alice then cleared her throat and ran away faster than I could blink.

In a second she was at the door with her coat and purse, Rose followed her, giving me a loving but timid smile before exiting. I watched them out the window as they ran at lighting speed; soon only Rosalie's beautiful, shining blonde hair was the only visible thing in the distance.

I turned to Edward and Bella, who had been so deep in conversation, their voices almost panicky.

"What's with them?" I asked. Edward and Bella whipped around and gave me their best smiles. However, they had the same look on their faces Alice and Rosalie had.

There was something they weren't telling me. I wonder what I had to beg to get some answers around here. My family sheltered me too much.

Thank god over the years I developed my own shield against mind reading. Edward would have grilled me for all the things I have let slip through my mind.

But Edward shrugged, "Busy, that's all. Alice has been rather annoyed with all the deadlines, but it's nothing to worry about."

I wasn't convinced, so I turned to Bella, who grinned at me. "Don't worry, Ness. Just get ready and meet us at Carlisle's, okay. I think anymore than twenty minutes and Alice will start chopping heads."

She brought Edward to his feet and they quickly left the room, attached at the hip, they then left through the front door, running unnecessarily fast towards the main house.

I gaped at them; they don't usually act like that, all skittish and nervous, that wasn't my family. I was usually greeted with smiles, hugs, and several awful jokes Emmett had prepared. But this morning was unusual. And it scared me.

Nevertheless, I knew Alice's impatience with me wouldn't get me in a very good position with her, so I quickly began to ready myself for the day ahead of me.

The wedding was only a week away.

I walked into the kitchen and took out a small bowl and I filled with some cereal and milk and I grabbed a handful of blueberries from the top shelf Bella had specifically gotten for me. My favorites of human food included blueberries and several other sweet fruits and treats.

I then hopped onto the counter and chewed each bite of cereal with care. Since I was half vampire I _could_ eat regular human food and drink animal blood. I didn't enjoy as much as mountain lion, but hey, what are you going to do? I didn't have time for a mini hunting trip, so I guess Frosted Flakes would have to suffice.

But sometime before the wedding the whole family had to take a hunting trip, there was going to be many human guests attending the wedding and we don't need another hassle like that on our hands.

And as I ate, I remembered exactly why this family was just so busy, hectic, and discombobulated.

Charlie and Sue have been engaged now for five months. He popped the question on their seventh year dating anniversary. Alice and Esme threw them an anniversary party and Charlie had planned a whole skit involving Seth –in wolf form- to carry the engagement ring on his collar (Leah had a lot of fun wrestling him into that) and Charlie sat her down at the head of the table with everyone watching, and he asked her to marry him.

My mother started to cry –well, as much as a vampire can cry, of course.

That night was amazing, full of love and life and happiness. And of course Charlie and Sue asked Alice to plan the wedding, she was the greatest, the only option.

But these past several months have been hell for us all. Especially Charlie, who's taste doesn't exactly add up to Alice's extravagance.

On the other hand, I was a bridesmaid, so Alice's awful reign of terror hit me, too.

Leah was the maid of honor, Bella was second bridesmaid, I was third, and then the fourth one would be a young relative of Sue. Apparently the young woman lived in Florida with Sue's sister, Gina.

Meanwhile, Jacob was Charlie's best man, and Seth, Edward, and Emmett were his groomsmen.

It was going to be the wedding of the century. But the big question was: where would it be?

Today we were hunting –wedding locations. Then Alice would have to have Bella and I fitted for our dresses. Today was going to hell, I knew it.

When I was done with breakfast, I ran upstairs at half vampire speed and jumped into the shower. This couldn't be rushed.

I took several minutes to wash my hair thoroughly, letting the conditioner sit in my hair for a few moments, humming my favorite tunes.

I then washed with my favorite cranberry body wash and before I knew I was already drying my hair off and brushing my teeth, I then bolted for my bedroom.

I kept my room very functional all these years. Not amazingly stylish but very modern and nice. I had dark wood floors, sea green walls and a blue comforter. Dark oak furniture lined my walls and framed the room nicely. In a towel I walked over to my dresser and pulled open the drawers, Alice would kill me if I didn't wear the right outfit.

I looked at myself in the mirror, after spending a considerable amount of time searching for Alice-scold-proof attire, and I guessed what I was wearing would have to please Alice.

I was wearing dark blue designer jeans (I could care less about brands, if you ask me), a navy blue blouse, a dark red beaded necklace, and little black dress boots.

I didn't like looking so conservative and dressy like Alice liked me too. Naturally, I dressed myself in natural-looking, comfortable style. I liked solid color shirts and other earthy tones.

And I loved interesting beads and jewelry, always seeming to find the funkiest thing I can. I always kept my curls in a messy heap to match my comfortable look, too. I was stylish without being too feminine. I guess you could call me a Bella in that way.

And in the mirror I looked beyond the clothes and more at my features.

I guess I was pretty tall, reaching five-foot eight- the second tallest female in the family. But it was still about a foot shorter than Jacob. With the boots I guess I was about five-ten. I had long auburn hair falling half way down my back that I then pulled halfway up with the hair tie.

And I guess I was curvy, but I had soft curves like my mother. Modest, Rosalie would always call it. Except, I started noticing just lately that my bust was growing exponentially, into a more full size that I now was catching up to Rosalie. I sighed, probably just my imagination, of course.

My skin was pale like vampires, apart from that I had my mother's natural blush and I sometimes glowed in the sunlight. It wasn't extraordinarily drastic; it looked like I had a golden spray tan.

My face was a lot like my father's, or so I was told. I had his bone structure, his lips, and nose. But my mother's eyes were the most noticeable aspect of my physical appearance; they were chocolate brown and seemed to never need any makeup. I didn't wear much to begin with, like my father, I had a nice complexion and my eyes were already supposedly "dazzling". That was the word my mother used to describe me. But of course, I never saw what she was raving about.

I looked back at the clock. I groaned. I was late. I sighed and grabbed my bag off the nightstand and I left my room, leaving the house, even locking the front door like I was taught as a little kid. The Cullens weren't the type to be worried about a locked door, but it was basic human intelligence and so I learned.

I slung my purse over my shoulder and ran as fast as I could towards the big house. It was maybe about a half a mile away from Edward and Bella's home and it wasn't much to run even to a half vampire.

Two minutes later I was on the extravagant porch of big white house on the river, and I entered.


	2. Brick by Boring Brick

_**._.**_

_**Chapter Two: Brick by Boring Brick**_

_**._.**_

And I regretted it. The house was a construction sight. Boxes and objects were spewed all over the floors, and lined along the walls. Even the staircase was covered in stuff. And it was all for the wedding.

Across the way stood Alice who had a checklist in her hands and she was crossing off the last little box on the bottom of the sheet.

When I entered she turned and smiled warmly (even though she had that ghostly nervousness plastered on her face from before).

"Good, you're ready," Alice sighed happily. "We're leaving in just a few minutes. I just have to call and confirm the table linens for the reception." I grinned at her, loving how pleased she was planning this wedding.

I nodded, "Sounds good, Al."

She shot me a comical look for her little nickname. But she shook her head with a smile and mounted the steps.

Suddenly, I finally remembered something.

"Hey, do you know where Jake is?"

I forgot about my best friend. How could I do that? He has spent everyday with me since I was born. He was an amazing friend. And as soon as that passed through my mind, Jacob walked in through the living room door, wearing his usual wolf attire: jeans and white t-shirt.

Sometimes he didn't even wear a shirt at all, but when I got older I recognized that he started to have to take precautions he never took before, like being clothed at all times. But since my age growth, he and my father thought it appropriate for him to be properly clothes. But I didn't care, it didn't change the way I felt about him, which was changing anyway.

His hair was short again, the last time it was long was, well never. I heard he kept it long when he was younger, but I never saw that side. And as Jake entered, my heart went bezerk, and I couldn't help it. I was changing towards my best friend. And I didn't know how to react to that.

"Someone call me?" he grinned, walking over to me and without another word he was pulling me into a bone-crushing hug. It was his specialty.

I made a strange, choking sound as the air was pushed out of my lungs. I laughed and I enjoyed the hell out of it. Jacob always knew how to make me laugh.

"Hello to you, too," I laughed, studying his dark face. Jacob was so tall, and so big. I couldn't ever get over his size. He was a giant to me. And I was almost as tall as Rosalie.

He gave me his infectious smile, and I felt my heart flutter.

Thank god Edward couldn't read my mind because lately I feel different about Jacob. I couldn't help it. Jacob was so handsome and kind and amazing.

I just couldn't tell what was happening to me. He was my best friend, how could I think of him differently?

"So, what are you doing today?" I asked, stepping out of his hold.

He shrugged, "I have to take the perimeter watch with Jared and Paul. Like always, you know."

I nodded, "Wish me luck. I have to get dragged around by Alice and be her guinea pig for the day."

I grimaced and he laughed.

"Yeah, I guess you win," he said, looking over his shoulder at Alice who was comparing two differing napkins that looked exactly the same. "I wouldn't want to be you right now," he whispered and he made a face of terror that made me laugh.

"Well thanks for your support," I said doubtfully.

Jacob smiled at me, and I looked into those big dark eyes and laughed again. But now I couldn't pull myself away, I stared at him longer than I wanted to.

He looked confused for a moment, but then the smile melted off his face.

He looked back into mine and felt an urge to squirm under his gaze.

As far as I could tell Alice had left the room, and Jacob and I were alone. It was uncomfortable for us now, and I didn't now if I liked it or not.

We both got this way when we were together, but we tried our best to keep it like the way we were.

I sighed, looking into his eyes and almost felt dizzy. I even felt an urge to rub my thighs together to get rid of an impossibly confusing feeling I had gotten. It worried me.

And then I heard someone clear their throat.

We both jumped. I whipped around and there stood Jasper. Oh god, he could read my emotions. He knows.

I stepped away from Jacob and turned to Jasper.

"Hey," I said, my voice a little thick.

He nodded curtly, with a smirk on his face, "Good morning."

"I-uh-I...we were just talking," I explained, looking back at Jake, who looked as deterred as I was. We both were uncomfortable.

Jasper nodded slowly. "Sure. No worries."

Then he simply walked away across the room and slipped into the living room, keeping his eyes locked on mine the whole time, obviously sensing my questionable emotions.

The room remained silent until I heard the soft closing of the door Jasper had just exited through.

"Well that was comfy," Jacob announced comically, and I laughed.

He smacked his arm and shook my head.

"What?"

I grinned, "Nothing." I could tell we were back to normal now. The uneasy air between us was there still, but I was trying to make the best of an embarrassing situation.

Jake looked at the clock, his eyes widening. "Shit, I gotta go, Nessie," he said. I didn't want him to go anywhere, as usual, but he had a job to do and I had to understand that.

"Okay," I said. "But we have to hang out when I come back."

He smiled, "I'll be there." Jake then walked towards the front door and exited, giving me a halfhearted, little wave before he departed.

When his face disappeared, the room seemed darker. Jacob was like my own personal sun (déjà vu, right?) and I couldn't stand more than a few hours away from him.

But I Jacob has been my best friend since birth; he definitely wasn't into to changing that, I'm sure.

I stared at the door for several more minutes after he left, feeling lonely.

I sighed hollowly and then picked my feet up and walked across the foyer and into the living room where I heard most of the commotion.

Inside was the entire family. I mean the _entire_ family. Everyone was here. The vampires, a couple humans, and several members of the wolf pack.

Alice, Rosalie, and Esme were talking closely in the corner about floral arrangements.

Leah, Seth, and Embry were sleeping on the couch by the window that overlooked with river. That was their couch, the one place the wolves like to sleep when they came over, probably because none of vamps ever sat on it.

Next to my parents were Charlie and Sue, the happy couple were looking young and frivolous again and my heart warmed. I was utterly joyous for them. They kept their hands intertwined as they talked to Edward and Bella. Speaking of Edward, he was giving me an appraising look right now.

I cursed myself, he heard the whole ordeal. Well, everyone could hear the conversation Jacob and I just had outside, but Edward was an intimate guest. He heard everything Jacob was thinking.

Bella sat next to him, completely oblivious, her beautiful youthfulness showing no attrition on her job as a mother. Bella never was very maternal, but she would always be my mother. I loved very much, and I somehow never worried about the fact that my parents will never age. I will be their age for the rest of eternity.

The big picture of that statement was wildly overwhelming but I shook it off and studied my father's face again.

I smiled timidly at his expressionless face, and I felt my face grow hot. I'm probably blushing right now.

He knows the way I feel about Jake has changed. And as far as I could tell, he didn't like it. Plus, Jasper was sitting in an armchair reading a dense volume, and he looked up at me from beneath his eyelashes. Edward could Jasper's mind who can read my emotions and feelings. I felt so embarrassed!

I plopped onto the couch next to Emmett, my face burning.

"Dammit! What an idiot, forty yards down at halftime and the other team scores on their flank and he wasn't even _looking_! It's ridiculous!" Emmett was cursing at the football game on ESPN right now. I watched him with a smirk on my face. He was so funny when he was angry.

"Well someone forgot to take their happy pill this morning," I teased, laying down on the couch and placing my feet up by his head.

"Ha-ha, very clever Ms. Know-It-All," Emmett grinned.

He then took one look at my feet and before I could pull away he had me in tight vise, and was tickling my feet. And did I tell you I was ticklish? Jacob used to tickle me when I was little and I laughed and laughed and laughed. I laughed now, but Emmett had me in headlock and I was thrashing around in his burly arms.

"Emmett! Let me go!" I couldn't talk very straight due to my laughing so hard, but I kept fighting against him, unsuccessfully.

I was laughing so much my eyes were clouded with tears and I couldn't even breathe.

"St-stop it!" I kicked and kicked and I eventually kicked him in the jaw, sending him flying back onto the back of the couch.

I was free. I jumped up and realized everyone in the room was watching me and Emmett battle it out. Even the wolves woke up and were studying me.

"What?" I asked. Everyone looked at one another and they all started laughing.

"_What_?" I asked again, feeling more embarrassed than ever. But they kept laughing.

"Nothing, you're just so funny when you're trying to fight back, Nessie," Seth explained, still sniggering.

I looked at everyone else with smirks on their faces and I grinned back, "Hey, if anyone else wants to take Emmet, be my guest," I lifted my hands up in surrender.

Everyone just smiled at me and took their places talking or sleeping again.

Once I confirmed that no one was paying considerable attention to me, I took my place next to Emmett again, who slung his arm around my shoulder. "Good kick, honey. Good kick," he said, rubbing his jaw. I stuck my tongue out at him childishly.

'C'mon, how old are you?" Emmett snickered.

"Sixteen."

"Oh, I thought you were only seven," he teased.

I stuck my tongue back out at him to prove a point. He shook his head and returned to game. But it was only several minutes before Alice came barging back into the room, pulling Bella and me to our feet and dragging us into the car.

I groaned, and Bella copied. She threw her arm around me encouragingly as we took the porch steps and into Alice's canary yellow Porsche, where Rosalie was attending shotgun, fixing her hair till it laid in a perfect wave of blonde locks. Bella and I climbed into the back seat and sighed. Both of us hated shopping trips.

"What's on the agenda first, Alice," Bella asked.

Alice settled into the car. "First, we look for a location for the wedding. Then, we have to get a fitting for you and Nessie's bridesmaids dresses."

Bella nodded, "Sounds easy enough." But to me, the sound was torture. And it was.

Today was single most torturously boring day I have experienced in my life. We spent four hours driving all over Washington State looking for the right location.

And somehow we ended up renting a beautiful little boathouse in Seattle for an incredibly high price range (but of course, pricing was trivial to the Cullens). I couldn't deny its beauty. In the mid-morning sunshine of May, the boathouse looked absolutely gorgeous.

However, to look at the location with realtor, all four of us girls had to cower under umbrellas, the vampires would have sparkled and I would have blinded someone with my glow.

On the actual wedding day, we scheduled the reception to follow the ceremony right after twilight, so there would be no uncomfortable sunshine situations with our vampires.

The house was in the center of a bright green field, and in also in the center was a small lake of deep blue waters. I walked by the lake and saw little fish swimming along the side, they were following me.

The boathouse was positioned on the edge of the lake. There were no exact walls; it was almost like a pavilion, columns lined the walls holding up the pearly white roof.

On the left side of the pavilion was a sweet, little closed off area, shaped almost like a chapel with a little, intricately decorated altar station with plenty of room for seating behind, there would be the ceremony.

And on the other side of the humungous pavilion was a vast marble dance floor. My voice echoed through the house when I asked the realtor how many people this place could hold.

"About five hundred," she said to me, her perfectly highlighted blonde bun cocking to one side, studying me. I gawked at the size of the room; we only had fifty people attending this wedding

"Wow," she added, looking straight at me.

I raised my eyebrows in question. "I cannot imagine the bride being more beautiful than the bridesmaids. If I may be so bold" The woman looked at us four.

But Rosalie looked bored; she's heard everyday of her existence.

Bella looked doubtful; she never thought she was beautiful. And Alice looked utterly flattered.

I smiled timidly, "Why, thank you. You're too kind." I didn't believe her, though. Flattery made me nauseas and uncomfortable.

The woman continued the tour, occasionally looking back only to admire her guests.

The bridesmaid dressed fitting was equally as eventful. Every employee of the boutique we went into stared at all of us, obviously at the vampire's beauty.

When we walked in, Alice sat Bella and I down in the huge dressing room in front of a four paneled, ceiling high mirror and she and Rosalie came back out in a few minutes with two pearly dress bags, stretching to floor.

"You are not going to believe this," Alice announced, her face all bright and chipper with giddiness. Bella and I rolled our eyes.

Rosalie laughed, "You should be thankful I stopped her at just this or she would have dressed you two as ice princesses." My Mom and I seemed to gulp in unison.

Then Alice and Rosalie pulled down the zippers of the bags to reveal the single most beautiful pair of dresses inhumanly possible.

The theme of the wedding was lakeside wedding, so naturally the dressed would remain simple.

But they were beautifully simple.

The two dressed were identical, white, crystal white. They both had an almost icy, ripple affect when the dresses turned in the light.

With matching sweetheart necklines and an impeccably tailored hemline, these were the most stunning pieces of clothing I have ever seen.

Even Bella was shocked. "Wow," was all she had to say. And Bella didn't even like clothes that much.

"Likewise," I added, and I reached out and touched the dress's silky material, it glided under my fingers like butter.

"You are amazing, Alice. You've done it again. You're the family visionary, I swear," I said to her, having a hard time keeping my eyes off the garment before me.

"Thank you, Nessie," she beamed. "People are going to have a hard time keeping their eyes off you."

I blinked away from the dress's blinding whiteness. "Wait, I thought the bride was supposed to be much, much better than the bridesmaids," I interrupted Alice's rapture.

Alice gave me a wicked grin, "Don't worry, I got Sue covered. And Leah's dress is even better than this. Her coppery skin tone next to this color white will be show stopping."

I nodded in agreement. Leah was beautiful, so she would be a hard person to beat in the appearance department.

"I can't imagine anything better than this, though." I said. Alice seemed to float with elation.

That was the most pleasant part of the evening.

So just when I thought this day wouldn't totally suck, it did. Big time.

Alice hadn't picked out the shoes for the dresses yet, so Bella and I spent three hours on shoe stores trying millions of pairs.

At nine 'o' lock they finally called it a day, and by then, my feet were cut up with blisters and I couldn't feel my heels.

Alice found Bella and me both two different shoes. Since I was several inches taller than my mom, Alice had me wear shorter ones, which she didn't like that to begin with so she made up for the height difference with hazardous shoe builds made for killing people who weren't so great on their feet (meaning me).

Bella's were higher, but they were simpler, and she was a vampire.

I on the other hand, got a chunky heeled stiletto with a thousand straps lining their way up my foot. It was horrendous. I was going to kill myself, or someone else in the process.

We left the shoe boutique with Alice and Rosalie still in their raptures, Bella was texting on her phone, most likely love letter to and from Edward, and I was miserable with foot pains.

I missed Jacob, too. I told him to hang out with me later but I bet he didn't think it was going to be this late, even. I sighed as I crawled into the backseat of the Porsche.

I closed my eyes and when I opened them again we were parked in front of a chic cafe. Alice and Rose were already getting out and Bella was tugging on my arm.

"I know, honey. I know," Bella said. "Alice is not only an unstoppable force of nature...but a tiring one, too."

I involuntarily yawned in agreement. Bella grinned and we stepped out of the car. With her arm slung across my shoulders, we entered the cafe where Sue was waiting for us with Leah sitting angrily by her side.

Leah Clearwater was extremely gorgeous. However, her constant scowls and glares subtracted from that beauty. Leah was bitter, but she was actually kinda nice to talk to. The several times we actually had conversations, she wasn't as vile as people made her out to be. Maybe it was the fact she just felt better around other women. Leah shared the pack mind with almost a dozen men, so maybe she secretly liked to speak with other female, not including "leeches" as she would say.

So she didn't exactly dislike me. She just didn't glare at me, which I took as her confirmation as a friend.

After I was born, Leah saw that I was no threat to her pack members and eventually -like everyone else- fell for me.

She just didn't really show it the way other people did.

"Hello, Mrs. Bride-to-be!" Alice squealed as we neared their table in the corner. Sue grinned in return and hugged Alice.

"I could never thank you enough for doing my wedding, Alice," she said, her face glowing with satisfaction.

"How are you girls?" Sue asked, beaming at all of us.

"We're good," we all seemed to reply in unison.

Sue studied us, "You girls want anything?" Sue whipped around, trying to locate the waitress.

Everyone looked to me.

"I'm alright, but...maybe a cappuccino if I could," I said. "If it's not any trouble."

"It's no trouble at all." Sue snorted.

"Waitress?" Sue called. A short redheaded girl turned and nervously studied the half a dozen beautiful women looking right at her. "Can we get a cappuccino, please?" The waitress made a squeaky noise that must have been a "Yes." Most people _were _intimidated by us all.

I turned away from the waitress to look at Leah, who was gulping her own coffee, staring off at the wall. She hadn't said a word yet. However, no one was exactly expecting anything from Leah Clearwater.

"Hello, Leah," I said.

She turn to look at only me with her big, beautiful, dark eyes. She just jerked her chin in acknowledgment and then returned to her coffee.

"Hey, Ness," she mumbled into the mug.

That was more than she did for anyone else in my family.

Alice took Sue's hand, "We got the dresses." And without another word, Rosalie half ran out to the car and returned in seconds with three dress bags. One was Leah's show stopper that I hadn't seen yet myself.

Rose returned with a grin as big as Alice's, who was literally jumping up and down where she stood.

"You won't believe the hassle it was to get these masterpieces," Alice said as she took the bigger one of the bags -Leah's probably-and put her hand on the zipper.

Out of my peripheral I saw Leah roll her eyes at Alice's dramatization. I grinned, she doesn't how beautifil her dress is gonna be.

I looked back at Alice, and she unzipped the gown bag to reveal a dress more beautiful than mine and Bella's, most definitely.

Sue gasped and took the bag right out of Alice's hands.

I thought I even saw a tear twinkle in Sue's eyes as she studied the white, billowing dress.

It definitely had differences from the other bridesmaids. The maid of honor's dress was more like it's own event. It was still the same length and the same material, but this one had real detail. It had a plunging neck line with the material falling in elegant waves of sparkling white.

"Oh my god. Leah, look at your dress," Sue gushed, grabbing her daughter's wrist and twisting her in our direction.

Leah hadn't been looking this whole time, and when she finally turned and laid her eyes on the dress they widened with incredible reaction. She almost dropped her coffee mug.

"That's _mine_?" Leah asked incredulously.

We all nodded.

Leach cocked her head to the side. For the first time since I've met Leah, she actually seemed speechless. She even seemed lost in the beauty of the garment.

"Wow," she whispered, stroking the buttery material.

Then her head snapped up, probably realizing she let her guard down and actually seemed human for once.

Leah put a scowl back on her face and said simply and degradingly, "It's alright." And then she buried her face in her drink again.

I rolled my eyes at her. Always trying to be strong and unwavering, huh, Leah?

Alice didn't even seem offended, having seem that split second of Leah's kindess.

"Thank you so much, Alice. You girls are going to look so beautiful," Sue said.

"_All _of you," she added, patting her daughter's knee.

I yawned on accident and Sue jumped in the silence. "Oh, you guys better get home. Nessie, here looks awfully tired."

The girls agreed.

Sue shook her head, "Wow, I can't believe I'm going to be _grandmother _in just a couple weeks..."

I smiled at Sue, "Trust me, you're way too young to be a grandma."

"Well, I'll see you in a couple days, Mrs. Bride-to-be," Alice said, rewrapping the maid of honor's dress and zipping it back up. "I hope you enjoy your last days of single's life," Alice said. "_Not_." We all shared a small laugh and we each said our goodbyes before exiting the cafe.

Alice seemed pretty happy with herself. I would be too if I just made someone's life that much better. Especially Leah's.

I climbed into the backseat again, hopefully for the last time before the end of the night, and I watched the city lights flash pasts my windows as we drove and drove for miles until we reached Forks, the blinding lights morphing into a sea of green trees. I felt glad to be home at last.


	3. I Gotta Feeling

_**._.**_

_**Chapter Three: I Gotta Feeling**_

_**._.**_

We finally got home a quarter to midnight and I was exhausted. Alice parked in the garage and was gushing to Rose about more wedding details.

Bella gave a weak smile, she was tired, too. Not in the literal sense, vampires could get tired. However, I got her frustrations. They were the same as mine.

I stumbled my way through the trees until I hit the front door.

Edward and Bella were going to stay over at Carlisle's for the night, but wouldn't really tell me why. I guessed it was about the wedding, so I didn't question it.

I opened the door and flicked on the entrance way light. The house was quiet and cool. I appreciated it after a day as awfully long as the one I had just experienced.

I sighed and threw my coat and shoes by the rack and I walked into the living room, plopping on the couch and flicked on the TV.

It didn't take long to find something on TV I liked. I settled on a cooking show, the cake baking one, and I curled up onto the couch. My muscles were so tense and tired it took almost a whole hour to become relaxed again. But I was hungry and too tired to get it.

I groaned and stood up on wobbly legs and I made my way into the dark kitchen. My hand searched for the light switch. I found and flicked the light on.

My shriek echoed throughout the whole house. Someone was sitting at the breakfast table. My heart pounded until I realized it was Jacob. I laughed at my own surprise.

And at the second I turned on the light, Jacob himself woke up. He snorted awake and he jumped out of the seat, looking wildly around, in wolf-pounce mode.

I snickered, "It's just me, Jake."

He turned and took in my figure. "I'm sorry. I thought it was something else."

I grinned. "What, a housecat?" I asked sarcastically.

He made a face and sat back down in the breakfast table chair, his dark hair in a mess. He looked exhausted. I walked towards him, "Jeez, Jake. How long has it been since you've slept?" He had bags visible even under his coppery skin.

I tried very hard not get that anxious feeling when I was studying him. Jacob had a way of doing that to me without even noticing. He dazzled me.

Jacob yawned and stretched.

I heard the sound of hundreds of bones cracking in protest, "Hmm...just a couple days."

He laughed at my expression. "Don't worry. To be a wolf, you gotta get used to the sleep schedule," he said.

I shook my head, "That's not healthy Jake."

He nonchalantly shrugged, "It's my life. I have to accept it."

I immediately felt like it was my fault he was tired beyond his own recognition. "I wish I could change that for you. You shouldn't have to go through that, my Jacob."

As soon as those words came out of my mouth, I regretted it. _My Jacob? _What the hell was wrong with me? I haven't said stuff like that since I was little kid. Except, now it meant something different. I felt my face burn up.

I looked at Jake. He looked just as embarrassed as I was. He definitely caught the meaning behind the words. He caught my gaze and stuttered, "Th-that's okay, Nessie. We can't always have as good as some other people do."

Jacob then stood up, almost as though to leave.

And of course, my mouth was ahead of my mind. "Don't go," I blurted. I internally cursed myself.

Jake looked at me and his eyes widened. "Okay, Ness. I...um..." he was looking for something to say.

I thought of the first thing I could to make this awkward situation better. "Are you hungry? I was just going to make something," I asked.

A wolf didn't deny a chance at a full stomach, so naturally he agreed and took his place back at the breakfast table. "You don't have to do that, either, Ness."

I looked back at him and smiled. Not the kind of smiles we've been giving each other lately, but the old kind, the friendly, understanding kind. I could feel Jacob let out a sigh as the tension faded. The awkwardness was evaporating and turning into a more normal essence. Thank god.

"Yes I do. You're my friend, Jake. What kind of friend would I be if I let you go hungry?"

Jacob laughed, "A really bad one who deserves to be punished."

I snickered, "Of course, I forgot."

I then sighed happily and walked over to the cupboards, "What do you feel like eating?"

Jacob shrugged, "I don't know. Whatever you feel like, Ness."

My eyes raked over the contents of the cupboard.

"Hmm...how about noodle salad. That sounds good." I looked at Jake who seemed to perk up with my very words.

"Yeah, it does." He was definitely famished.

I smirked and reached up onto the top shelf where the box of Rotini noodles was, but it was out of my reach. When Esme composed this house, she made the ceilings and cupboards really high, just high enough for it to be out of my reach.

I strained my back and stood up on my tippy-toes and I still couldn't get it.

But then I was suddenly overshadowed by a taller, darker figure.

Jacob's hand reached over mine and picked up the box. I was suddenly hyperaware of Jacob's proximity, and I got the same feeling in my stomach whenever he came close. Like a tight but slushy pull in my stomach. Butterflies, Bella once told me when I was nervous when I started my first day of school.

Jacob gave me butterflies.

And for a short second, I felt his front touch my backside and I almost jumped.

I took a deep breath and inhaled his sweet, light, musky scent and my stomach tightened even more.

I turned around to see Jake with the box of noodles, an anxious look on his beautiful face. He gulped and handed me the box.

"Here you go," he said, his voice thick and rough. For a second we stared at each other, both of us tense.

I took the box, "Thanks." I whipped back around and walked over to the washing rack and got a pot ready. I set it on the stove filled with water and waited for it boil.

I turned to Jacob, who had taken his seat at the breakfast table. He was looking down at his hands, not saying a word.

"I'm gonna throw some laundry in while the water boils, okay?" I asked.

Jake looked at me. "Yeah, go ahead. Don't let me deter your chores," he smiled.

I grinned back, "I'll think I'll survive. Edward won't send me to a convent...just yet." I heard Jacob's hearty laugh ripple through the kitchen and I felt happy that we weren't all tense and rigid anymore.

I then exited the kitchen and walked to the laundry room, feeling light as air. Jacob's presence didn't only give me butterflies, but also an amazing airy feeling, as though he lifted a million pounds of my shoulders.

In the confines of the washroom, I felt less nervous. I was able to put a load of whites in and swap the darks into the dryer without my stomach tightening with anticipation because Jacob was only a couple dozen feet away.

On my way out I shut the light off and when I went back into the kitchen I saw Jake sitting in his seat, asleep...and snoring.

I tried to laugh at the chainsaw imitation. Or even be swept up by his handsome features. I just quietly went to the stove, not wanting to deprive the poor guy of any more sleep, and put the noodles into the rolling boiling water and waited the twelve minutes until they were the perfect contrast of soft and al dente.

The table was set. I tried to even work around Jake's enormous, sleeping figure and I did pretty well. I gave him the biggest bowl I could find in the house, which was a blue glass mixing bowl and I filled it with cold noodles and I drizzled the whole thing with Italian dressing. I then dropped some croutons and bacon chunks I found in the fridge on top.

It looked very appetizing. I fixed myself a bowl and set it down on the table.

I went back to the fridge and got out my pitcher of homemade lemonade and poured us some drinks-again, giving Jake the hugest glass I couple find and I a regular sized one. I grabbed a couple forks on the way over and set up the contents next to the noodle salad.

I was pretty proud of myself. I mean, I've cooked food for Jacob many times, and I enjoyed when I did, especially because I was the only one who ate in the family. It was nice to feed the wolves sometimes when they came over, I had many recipes.

Jacob was still snoring loudly, enough to make my ears hurt. So without more delay, I shook his shoulder violently until he snapped awake.

"Huh, what, what?" he jumped, almost knocking the whole table right over.

I laughed, "Morning sleepyhead."

Jake looked around at the clock, "Good, I only slept twenty minutes." He stretched again, his joint cracking again.

I sat down across from him, "Hope you're still hungry."

Jacob looked at the spread in front of him. "Hell yeah I am. Wow, you do make food look extra good, I have to say," he said, plunging his fork into the food and downing the whole thing.

He made a sound of contentment, "Damn, not only does it look good, it tastes even better. You're a lot like Bella that way. She was also an amazing cook."

I grinned, "Thank you, but all I did was boil some noodles. I hardly call that cooking."

Jacob shook his head, piling the food into his mouth. "Yes it is," he said around his full mouth.

I laughed. "Jeez, don't choke." I poked my fork into the noodles and ate a small bite. It did taste very good. "Sure, sure," he said, his mouth still brimming with food.

After several fork-full's Jacob asked, "So how did the torture go?"

I laughed at his phrase. "Not that bad, but not that great. I still can't feel my feet. But at least Alice is happy. Oh, and Leah, too, I might add."

Jacob seemed surprised. "_Leah_?"

I nodded. "She actually was speechless when she saw her dress. It's going to look so good on her, too," I mused.

Jacob still seemed perplexed. "_Leah_? Like, _Leah_, Leah? Are we talking about the same Leah?"

I laughed, "Yes we are. And, yes, that's what I thought. She doesn't seem to be the type to be happy about anything." Jake nodded, "Agreed."

I snickered, "Way to be a great alpha there, Jake."

He snorted, "Like Leah cares what anyone thinks."

I shook my head at him as began to pile food back into his mouth again.

"So, how did the watch go?" I asked Jacob after a few minutes of silence while we finished.

Jacob, who had already finished his humungous bowl, leaned back his chair, relieving his full but somehow still flat stomach.

"Not much," he said. "The usual. Paul and Jared disagree. Paul throws fist. Jared gets hit, screams like little girl, and falls to the ground." I laughed out loud.

Jacob kept going, "Jared wails on the ground and says 'I'll tell your mother, little boy'. Paul started crying and begs him not to or he won't get dessert at dinner." He said in a funny, mocking tone and I laughed and laughed until I wiped a tear from under my eyes.

"Very funny, Jake," I said.

Jake buffed his fingernails on his shirt comically, "I know, I'm fucking awesome."

I snickered again. "Of course you are, Jake." He looked up at me with a smirk on his face and I couldn't help but look away.

But it took a complete different turn. Jake held my gaze, but he didn't smile. He just looked into my eyes and I felt the urge to squirm again. I crossed my legs to take some of the edge off the peculiar feeling I got and I bit my lip, but I didn't release his gaze.

Jacob opened his mouth to say something, but then he closed it instead and just kept looking into my eyes. I gulped and studied his face.

I watched his beautiful, tawny skin darken in the dim lighting, his dark eyes always seeming to sparkle. He had amazingly sharp bone structure and as my eyes raked over his neck he gulped, the muscles in his neck tensing and I felt even more intrigued. His squared shoulders...I couldn't get over his perfection.

But I snapped out of my trance because then the phone rang, its sharp sound piercing through the silence. I jumped and ran over to the phone charger in the living room.

I picked up the phone, "Hello?" I asked, my voice was thick and rough like Jake's was.

"Hello, Nessie." It was Billy. "I was wondering if Jacob was there. He hasn't com home yet." Billy's deep, rumbling voice made my ear vibrate even through the phone.

"Oh yeah, he's here," I replied. "Do you want to talk to him?"

Billy paused, "If that's okay."

"Sure, hold on." I turned, but Jake was already there beside me, his hand extended for the phone. Without looking into his eyes, just in case I got lost in them again, I left the room.

I felt so humiliated. I just stared at Jake. _Stared_ at him, for Christ's sake. How embarrassing! I hoped I didn't have to face Jake again but that was unrealistic. Jacob was my very best friend; I couldn't change that over a silly thing like my attraction towards him.

Was that even what it was? Attraction? I mused over that until I hear the phone bleep and I heard Jake put the phone back onto the charger. I quickly scrambled over to the table and picked up the dirty dishes and put them into the sink.

I could hear his footsteps coming closer and I scuttled over to the coffee maker and began making a new pot.

"Nessie?" Jacob asked. I looked up.

"I have to get going, hon," he said. I jumped slightly at the nickname. Jake's called me hon or honey many times, but it was just awkwardness of our situation that made it seem different, of course.

"Okay. I was just making some coffee if you wanted it," I said, putting the ground into the coffee filter.

Jake smiled, "You spoil me too much, Ness."

I sighed in relief at his calmness. Thank god he still wasn't as deterred as I was by our little stare down. "It's my job as best friend, right?"

"You bet your ass you are," Jake said. "And yes I would like some coffee," he added. "Thank you."

I smirked, "No problem."

I stared at the coffee maker until it was finished with the pot. I then dug for a thermos in the cupboards and filled it to the top with the Columbian brew. I turned and handed it to Jake, who was waiting patiently. And as I handed him the thermos, our hands touched briefly, his hands nearly as hot as the burning thermos. A wolf thing. But it was just enough to give me static spark and make me jump.

"Thanks again, Ness," Jacob said, walking towards the front door, and I followed.

"You're welcome," I replied. "We should hang out again tomorrow or something. I mean, like, actually hang out. Not: You wait around for me to come home and I let you sleep on my kitchen table," I grinned.

Jacob returned the favor with one of his infectious smiles, "Sure, sure. We will. Tomorrow we have a pack meeting, but on Saturday I'm all yours."

I felt warmer at his words and I nodded, "See you then."

Jacob then ducked out the door and ran into the woods; he disappeared into the brush, probably shifting to his wolf form.

But as soon as Jacob left my house the air seemed thicker and darker. He was my sunshine, I guess. My reason for being happy. And that was changing. Rapidly. And I didn't know how I felt about that. But what I knew for sure was that my friendship with Jacob Black was altering into something a lot more different and scarier as far as I could tell.


	4. Independence

_**._.**_

_**Chapter Four: Independence**_

_**._.**_

Over the following couple days I found myself overly excited to see Jacob again. That may have been irrational, but who am I to talk. I was a teenager, I could be this excited overt little things. But Jacob wasn't a little thing in my life, he was my best friend.

Even Alice's scary reign of wedding terror couldn't change my elated mood.

However, beneath my euphoric stupor, I started to notice that everyone was getting jumpy. Whenever I entered a room, everyone whipped around and seemed surprised to see me and threw some random excuse.

Things were getting weird around the house, and I couldn't take the tension. It was almost as though the vampires were waiting for something to happen. And it wasn't the wedding. It was anything good at all.

Take today for example. I got up early to help the vampires do their spring cleaning. There was not much to clean to begin with as you could imagine. Vampires had an innate sense of tidiness. But Alice had called me over to help with the event. Besides, I didn't like staying home all alone while everyone was somewhere else, doing something else. At home, I was most likely to watch TV, read, or study for useless reasons. I still had all my tests, essays, and textbooks from when I was schooled.

I didn't go to an actual school, of course. I was homeschooled.

And my whole family were my teachers. Every family member of mine had a special area of expertise.

My mother, Bella, was the English teacher. Rosalie was my science teacher. Emmett was for my physical education, he taught me all my sports and fighting techniques. Carlisle was my health instructor, Jasper was history, and Alice was for math.

I laughed when I realized she was so skilled in that field of education. Alice was constantly shopping; she had her hands on pricing, discounts, and etcetera all her life.

Meanwhile, Esme was for different, miscellany intelligence skills. Since she didn't have an exact school subject to teach, she gave me life insight such as etiquette, organization, cooking and even more specific concerns like architecture, her favorite thing in the world and her very own profession.

And Edward was for my music. Edward taught me to play the piano, guitar, and how to sing. If I had to pick my favorite subject it would be music or English. But music was something I did everyday. I sang all the time and when I couldn't sleep some nights I'd play the guitar or the piano. They're soft, melodic qualities allowed me drift to sleep many restless nights.

Speaking of music, Sue personally asked Edward and me to perform at her reception. At first I was worried sick, but Edward practiced with me for a couple months with the new material and we had picked a few songs for us to sing individually and as a duet. I felt a little more motivated at that thought.

And the reason why I didn't attend a generic school was for my uncanny growth pace. Just a year ago had I officially stopped, before then I was constantly in a flux of body changes.

You don't how tiring it is to outgrow your clothes in matter of just a couple weeks. Alice and Rose loved to take shopping trips for me, but I didn't like constantly changing. Puberty was hell for a half vamp. Since my skin was extra tough, so were my internal organs. My reproductive system worked at twice the pace and so I experienced twice the pain and stress. I was relieved when it all finally became a pattern instead of an unsteady, untellable schedule.

You could imagine how embarrassing the whole ordeal had been for me living with vampires, several of which had a sixth sense, you could call it. They knew when something was wrong with me. Jasper, for example, could sense my emotions.

Whenever I was stressed about something and I didn't want to show it, Jasper rather ruined it for and blabbed about to someone or he pushed a wave of calm over me.

Jasper's gift was pretty discreet, but also very effective. However, Alice must be very difficult right now with her stresses and emotions; therefore Jasper has had a hard time calming her.

No doubt he wasn't, though. He would have calmed Alice all the time if she needed it. Which, right now, she indeed needed it. Jasper must be working very hard against the monstrous side Alice had going on under the surface.

Big events made Alice happy. But they also made her very jumpy and irritable.

However, this morning when I went over to the house, she seemed much more disturbed and unsettled instead of her usual busy body self, rushing around trying to perfect things that were already perfect.

I walked into the door, peeking around the frame for the first signs of Alice's tornado. But the atmosphere was peaceful and quiet.

Loud, pop music was playing from the stereo in the living room and I heard the light footsteps that of course could belong to only a vampire.

I walked across the foyer and into the living room.

Several vampires were carrying pieces of furniture around, things like two hundred pound couches clung casually over their shoulders.

When I came through the door I was greeted by my mother.

"Morning, honey," Bella said.

I walked over and hugged her, "Hey."

"Umm...Esme wants you to take over the other living room and the study, okay? You and Alice are in charge of that."

I nodded. "But why are we cleaning at all? This place is already flawless just the way it is."

Bella shrugged, "I know what you mean. But Esme and Alice refused to allow," Bella's voice then changed into a mocking tone of Alice's high, chipper voice. "'_A proper bachelorette party'_ in a place that didn't meet up to her high standards." Bella rolled her eyes.

I laughed. "The bachelorette party is here?"

Bella bobbed her head, "Yeah, apparently we're having a huge party next week with all the female members of the wedding. Alice is uber excited about it."

"Wow, she really is going _all out_ isn't she?"

Bella shook her head, "Oh, it could be worse. This is almost as bad as my own wedding."

I snickered, "Yeah right. What could be worse than this?"

"Imagine Alice not having a major event to plan for almost seventy years and then she gets a call about a wedding."

The picture in my mind was borderline Alice massacre. "That was your wedding?"

"Yeah," she seemed to not suppress bad memories too well.

"Alice was _unstoppable. _But thank god she's been doing other wedding since mine or we would have a bloodbath right now over lilies and daffodils," she joked.

I laughed, "That's nice to hear. Its really going to be a beautiful wedding isn't it?"

"Yeah," she agreed softly, however her voice and face looked uncomfortable and scared. Bella was unnaturally quiet; she started looking down a lot.

I looked at her strangely. "Are you okay, Mom?" I asked. "You seem really nervous."

Bella shrugged her shoulders in dismiss. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I took a step back, almost as if I was slapped.

"Mom, why are you so angry now?' I asked. "Was it something I said?"

Bella shook her head and didn't say a word. She then excused herself from the living room, carrying an armchair out into the front yard where Rosalie and Esme were cleaning the furniture.

But Bella was an awful liar. Something was up that no one was telling me. And from the looks of everyone's face and tone that I spoke to, they would keep denying everything I asked of them.

The morning passed slowly. Alice recruited me -all fake smiles that further supported my theory- and we started in the living room.

Out of all the members of the family, Alice was the best at pretending that nothing was wrong. Alice gushed to me the whole day about wedding details and catering and the flowers. I enjoyed hearing her happy, upbeat voice among the concerned ones of the other family members.

We listened to music and sang along in the confines of the living room. We were moving furniture outside where Bella, Esme, and Rosalie were cleaning the fabric and such. All the while, Jacob clouded my thoughts. And so I was even happier from then on due to his unstoppabl ray of sunshine that fell over me each time I thought of him.

I found that thinking of Jake took my mind of the work, obviously, which made the place even cleaner seeing how I unconsciously was cleaning things longer with him, blurring my mind

The house was and will be the most beautiful and impeccable home I have ever been in, but they saw fit to act like regular humans and oblige themselves to spring cleaning, much to my incredulousness. The place had spotless for years.

Alice and I dusted and wiped every surface, organized DVD's alphabetically, and then vacuumed the carpet so clean it began to smell like a new car. We had a lot of fun together. And it was nice not having to worry about the wedding, or for that matter, _Alice_ not running around worrying about the wedding.

This was the Alice I know and I loved.

Alice and I were dusting pictures when suddenly one of my favorite songs came on.

I couldn't help it. I had to sing along.

I started to do a little dance around the living room, belting the song out loud.

_"My independence went away. I didn't listen when it said 'rely on yourself, trusting someone else is a path for the silent ghost." _

_"My independence went astray. I didn't think you could betray the pieces that belong inside yourself. Still I wonder, where did we go wrong? Dear independence, which way do go?"_

I sniggered at my own voice. I couldn't pass up a chance to sing, I guess.

Alice laughed and smiled warmly at me. "You have a wonderful voice, Nessie."

I grinned.

"Sue is so lucky to have you and Edward to perform at the wedding."

"Aww, thanks, Al." I said.

Alice was about to compliment something else when suddenly her face then became a little less appeased and she turned away and returned to dusting the windows.

I looked at her, concerned.

"Hopefully you'll be able to actually _perform_ at the wedding," she whispered ever so quietly, to where normal humans would hear silence.

It wasn't supposed to be something I could hear, but with my half vampire sense of hearing I just caught the words, straining my ears to catch her syllables.

"What'd you just say," I asked.

Alice looked panicked and shook head dismissively. "I didn't say anything."

She tried to cover up her own words? That's not very Alice-like.

She continued to look at me strangely. "Are you sure you're feeling alright, Ness? Are you coming down with something?" Why was Alice lying? Alice never lies.

I set down my duster and walked over to where she stood.

I took her hands in mine and looked right into her golden eyes.

"Alice? If something was wrong...would you tell me?" I asked, giving her all my innocent charm to make her tell me the truth.

For a split second, Alice seemed torn. There _was_ something wrong.

Alice took a few moments to study my face. She looked back into my eyes and opened her mouth to say something. My heart raced and understood. She was going to let me in.

But she then suddenly shut it, wiped the hurt look off her face, and gave me a smile.

"Nessie, I seriously don't know what you're talking about."

My heart dropped into my stomach and I understood. They had no desire to let me in _at all._

"If anything seems out of the ordinary, it must be the wedding. It's making us all a little jumpy and irritable. Me especially," Alice kept throwing me lie after lie and I didn't get it. Alice was one of the most trustworthy persons I have ever known.

I nodded somberly and turned back to dusting and reorganizing pictures and other household objects, regretting ever trying to make a vampire give in.

Alice didn't say another word to me. She kept to herself the rest of the day and quietly hummed to the songs that played on the radio, faking a pleased mood to make me less suspicious. Of course, as you could imagine, I didn't buy it.

By four we had already finished the study and the second living room and we and the other members of the family had moved all the furniture back into their rightful rooms.

After the cleaning the guys came home. They had been over at Charlie's planning a bachelor party. However, we all knew they weren't planning anything like a strip club. Our men, besides Emmett, had a bit more tact and class than to do that. Plus, Alice could see their future if they did.

And after that they went on a mini hunting trip.

Of course, they had a hilarious story about how Emmett ambushed a grizzly bear and almost lost an eye. It was nice to hear everyone laughing again.

All this faking in the family and pretending nothing was wrong, most likely for my benefit, was making me feel so alone. But I wasn't a lonely person.

I guess you could say I was independent. I was a stable, happy person who was surrounded by people she loved and cared about most. It was just that when everyone started to make up stories, I felt so forlorn and downright like I didn't belong there.

However, I was never alone. I had Jacob. And that was something anyone would want to sacrifice for. Jacob wouldn't lie to me. I could ask him about the family and what was going on and I'm sure he would not deny me the truth.

And I was supposed to go over to his house tomorrow. I would ask him then, I decided.

Darkness came over Forks and we all settled in the now extremely clean living room and we put in a movie. It was an old one: _Some like it Hot. _

Marilyn Monroe in this movie awfully reminds m of a three-way tie between Esme, Rosalie, and Alice. Esme's sweetness, Rose's sex appeal, and Alice's pitchy voice and hair cut.

It was a pretty entertaining and funny movie, however it was one of the shortest films I have every seen. Before I knew it the lights flicked on and the vampires began to disperse.

Bella and Edward walked up to where I sitting on the couch, half asleep.

I felt Edward brush my hair out of my face as I yawned.

"We're going to spend some time in the forest tonight, love. Take a walk around, okay?" Edward said.

I knew why they wanted some _alone_ time. I wasn't _that_ sheltered.

I rubbed my eyes, "Yeah, yeah. I'm going to bed in a few minutes anyway."

They nodded and bid me goodnight. "Alright. Goodnight, Renesmee," Bella said, taking my father's hand and rushing out the door.

I stood up on wobbly, exhausted legs and I said goodnight to the rest of the family.

I left the house in a daze. All I remember from then on was my legs going until they hit my bed, in which I flopped onto, not even bothering to put down my bag or take off my shoes before sleep evaded me.

I dreamed that night. About Jacob. And it was a very..._interesting_ dream.

Jacob and I were in the forest, on the grass, rolling around, grasping at one another.

We were kissing on the forest floor, gasping and clutching at each other, my legs wrapped around his hips. That peculiar sensation radiating throughout my body, making me want to hold Jacob tighter and closer to me. His hands roamed my body and my own hands tightened in his hair.

I was moaning his name over and over again, my face buried into his neck.

"Jacob...oh, Jacob...mmm...," my voice was rough and almost tortured. I didn't know what was happening, but I liked it.

Jacob's hands were running up my legs, almost tickling them. His warm fingertips trailing up my inner thighs deliciously and I waited for them to touch my-

I woke with a start.

Not seeing a steamy scene on the forest floor, but my own hardwood ones.

I groaned. I was enjoying that. I was quite sheltered enough to not know what my dream meant, but whatever it was, it couldn't be bad. Well...from the feeling between my legs that made me squirm told me it wasn't bad at all, quite the opposite actually.

I was breathing heavily and I was sweating through my clothes. They stuck to my skin uncomfortably and my limbs felt heavy.

I looked over at the clock. It read twelve-thirty. I was asleep for almost eleven hours. And I could definitely feel it.

I usually don't sleep that long, but of course, when you had such a busy day like I had yesterday and last night's dream, obviously I would sleep a little longer than usual.

I was supposed to go over to Jake's today.

Suddenly I felt lighter than air, thinking of his beautiful face, his wonderfully broad shoulders and sculpted body, that smile that seemed to make the stars seem dim.

I was starting to get that bizarre feeling again before I shut it out and said to myself that I was going to be good.

But as soon as Jacob alone had crossed my mind I was out of bed and in the shower, hurrying as fast as I could to get ready. I couldn't wait to my Jacob again.

An hour later I was fully dressed and I was about to head out the door when I remembered something.

I should make him something to eat.

Jacob was a sucker for my cooking and I felt like doing something nice for him. Plus, living with Billy, they must take turns. Jake would like something different to eat for a change and the surprise would please him just as much.

In the end I made my special spaghetti and my chocolate chip cookies. Hurriedly, yes. They most likely weren't the best of mixes, I would have to say, but Jake loved both of these items, so who cared? I was then out the door, my arms full with tuber ware.

I didn't know how to drive yet. Edward promised he would teach me this coming summer before my "seventeenth" birthday.

So I would have to make it by just running.

And when I ran, it wasn't as fast as vampires, but was quite close. I was maybe about ten miles an hour slower than them which actually isn't much of a difference at all.

La Push was easy enough to find, having been there almost everyday of my life with Jacob.

I loved La Push. It was one of my favorite places.

I loved their ocean views, the people, and the places. Everyone said that I was destined to be traveler with the way I marvel at new places.

And I couldn't deny, of course, seeing how it was true. It's my dream to one day step foot on every country this world has to offer.

It was a silly dream, however.

I made it to Jake's in good timing. The food was still piping hot.

I caught my breath as I mounted his steps and straightened my clothing before entering-just out of new habit.

But when I opened the door, something completely different awaited me.

Jacob was sitting on the couch, a hand clamped to his face, with blood streaming down his cheeks.

**AN: Sorry to leave you hanging there. Guess you'll have to check back in on Friday to know what happened...**

**For starters, I want to thank "veraleeon" for being my very first reviewer. I dedicate this chapter to you, girl! Shout out to Portugal! Haha. I appreciate your views just the same, by the way. Please review as many chapters and scenes as you possibly can, I'd love to hear all your thoughts, questions, comments, and concerns. That is what fuels my motivation!**

**Oh, and just so I don't leaving you hanging on this question, this is going to be a long, long story. Trust me; you got about 50+ chapters heading at you full of twist and turns and things you didn't think were going to happen.**

**Plus, I'll start giving the song that inspired the chapter's title at the end of every chapter. I forgot to do that for the first three so here they are. As said before, the actual song itself may not resemble what happens in the chapter or the chapter's mood. But many of the future chapters have corresponding songs. **

**Chapter 1: "Dreams" –the Cranberries**

**Chapter 2: "Brick by Boring Brick" –Paramore**

**Chapter 3: "I Gotta Feeling" –The Black Eyed Peas**

**Chapter 4: "Independence" –The Blue Van *this song has recently become the soundtrack to my life. :) **

**Also, remember to check out new chapters every Tuesday and Friday. However, if I have a small blurt of a chapter, I may post it randomly or I may give you two chapters on Tues/Fri. **

**With Love, NovemberBabe17!**


	5. Golden Years

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_**Chapter Five: Golden Years**_

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* * *

**AN: Since you guys are so good to me, have this chapter a day early**

I shrieked and ran towards Jacob, jumping into the couch and yelling his name repeatedly.

"Jacob! Jake!" I screamed. "_Jacob_!" I shook him desperately. He couldn't be-

He was awake. And in the split second it took me to enter the house, scream bloody murder, and crowd him, Jacob seemed confused. Dazed and disoriented, he ceased my hands from shaking the life out of him.

"Nessie!" He yelled back. "I'm okay! I'm okay!" Meanwhile his face still ran with red.

"I'm fine," he said quietly, out of breath as I slowly calmed down.

My stomach did a flip when I looked down as his wolf-warm hands, pinning mine down. He was very close, too.

I was panting, still shaking.

"You're okay?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes," he confirmed.

Looking right at me, Jacob then started laughing.

I looked wildly at him. "What's so funny?" My voice was creeping up high with hysteria

He shook his head, his hand now clamped to his blood-wet nose. It was starting to leak all the way down his neck, seeping into his shirt. I didn't like to look or smell of blood and my stomach rolled.

"You were so panicked," he explained, still grinning at me. "I never thought you'd be the type to freak out in a crisis."

I smiled, "I guess I get it from my mother." He knew Bella better than Edward, it seemed.

"Well, right now, the crisis is your nose," I said, pulling him to his feet and making him walk to kitchen with me.

I grabbed some paper towels and wetted them.

He smirked at me and took over. "Honestly, Nessie, I'm fine. If anything it's just a break."

My eyes widened and I laughed. "And somehow a broken nose isn't important for you to take care of, huh?"

Jake rolled his eyes, "Don't worry. I'll be healed in an hour."

Unexpectedly, Jake then pinched his nose between his two fingers and he jerked his entire nose to the right and I heard a disgusting _crunch_. I felt the urge to tear my ears apart.

"Ow! Fucker!" Jake cursed. His nose was straight again, though.

He regained himself then, "Sorry. Broken noses are a bitch to rearrange."

I shook my head and left him in the kitchen to run to the laundry room. There, I pulled a washcloth out of the dryer and walked back into the kitchen and soaked it with warm water.

I handed it to Jacob's extended hand and he started to clean up the mess of blood soaking his entire upper body.

I looked at the mess pitifully, the scent of blood heavy in the air. I wasn't fully a vampire, but blood did make my throat burn slightly. It was a tad uncomfortable, but this was Jacob. I wouldn't want to hurt him.

But as he washed his face and neck, I watched the tendons in his jaw and neck tighten, the water trickling down his neck and disappearing into his cotton shirt. That was starting to get to me.

Then suddenly, without warning, Jacob removed his shirt to clean his chest and I had to cross my legs at the sight.

Jacob's body was my chicken soup for the soul. He was so utterly beautiful in every way.

His broad chest was stained with blood, and I watched as the water he washed with trickled down his abs, too. It was tortuous.

I gulped, biting my lip. Even when in need of medical assistance Jacob still looked fantastic.

I began to have flashbacks of my dream last night. I sighed blissfully.

But Jacob then noticed my scrutiny and he waved a hand in front of my face and smiled.

"Hello? Nessie? Did you hear what I just said?" he was grinning at me.

I jumped. "Sorry. What?"

He smirked again, "I said, what's with the hardware? Are we having a tuber ware party?" He gestured to the containers I had dropped by the front door.

"Oh, that's what I brought over for us to eat today. Spaghetti and chocolate chip cookies," I said.

He cocked his head to the side, "Not together, I hope."

I laughed, "No, of course not. But I knew they're your favorite."

Jacob seemed relieved. "Ahh...Spaghetti a la Ness and cookies. Sounds like quite the day for me. Thank for your patronage, Ms. Cullen."

I smiled, feeling great for remembering to cook for him all together.

"You don't know how tiring it gets taking turns with Billy," Jacob said. "Especially when the only thing I've only ever known was hot dogs and mac and cheese...I still have nightmares about it," he whispered with comic obsequious and pretended to shudder.

I chuckled, trying to stop myself from swooning over his throaty voice. But I couldn't stop myself from studying Jacob again when he wasn't looking. Especially since now he was shirtless, wet, and beautiful right before my very eyes.

For a moment we were silent, just staring at each other. But it started to get awkward and I cleared my throat.

"So how did you break your nose anyway?"

Jacob laughed, "Paul."

"Of course," I groaned, pulling a chair up next to him and the sink.

"Over what?"

"A simple disagreement," he explained. "Paul never sees eye to eye with Sam or me."

"That doesn't exactly answer my question."

He shrugged. "There's just some...stuff going on lately with...everything."

My jaw almost dropped. He was using the same tone as the vampires. The wolves were in on it, too!

I decided now was a good time to break the ice.

"Jacob?"

"Yeah, Ness?"

"There's some weird stuff going on in this family right now. Would you know anything about it?"

Jake had his back turned to me, pouring a drink, but I saw him stiffen and stutter, "No, Nessie. Nothing I haven't heard of." He scrambled to get another glass from the cabinet.

"You want something to drink?"

No he was trying to get off subject.

I sighed in defeat. I loved Jacob deeply with all my heart, but could he lie to me about this?

Whatever was up they weren't going to tell me. No use trying to decipher everyone's mood right now. When the wedding hype was over, I would look again and see if it really was the event doing this to everyone...even though I strongly doubted it.

"Dr. Pepper if you have it," I said, giving up my family interrogations.

Jacob snorted. "Of course I do."

"The doctor is in," Jacob announced and suddenly a glass of fizzing soda was in my hand.

I laughed at his humor, "Thanks Jake." I took a sip from the glass and stood up.

"I'll get started on the food, okay?" I grabbed the tuber ware from the living room and brought it back to the kitchen.

"You go rest on the couch and find us a movie. I'll reheat this and be done a few minutes," I said.

Jake nodded, "I _am_ getting a little dizzy. What do you want to watch?"

I shrugged, "I don't know...find something," I smiled.

Ten minutes later I had the spaghetti redone and I was bringing it out to the living room.

Jacob had found one of my film favorites on _Stars: Back to the Future. _I somehow found some calm sensation from watching old movies. They always fascinated me more than movies that were coming out nowadays.

Plus, I always found joy in thinking of the fact almost all the Cullens were alive and well in the 50's or 80's, their same appearance, no changing.

But I couldn't imagine Alice in a poodle skirt and cat glasses or Edward in bell-bottom jeans, I just couldn't. I'd laugh myself to death. Or even back in 1800's, Carlisle and Jasper in old time fashion.

And Rosalie was in her human prime during the Great Depression. However, I can sort of imagine her in a rendering, feminine evening dress of chiffon and a fur shrug and her hair pinned up under a small hat. She had that kind of classic look. But she looked better now in her modern, conservative styled ways.

Meanwhile, their speech would remain close to the times. Words like swell, golly, or even tubular from the 90's they probably used back then, but I never heard them repeat. They would always be right in synch with the _now_ of present customs.

But Jacob and Bella were the most recent and they showed no signs of custom morphing. It's only been several years since they were entirely human. I too would have to change my customs along with them. Good thing I had both my mother and my best friend to help me.

Jacob and I watched the movie on the couch together, eating. Jacob kept making sounds of contentment with each bite and I couldn't help but giggle every time.

We were on the same couch, quite close. We were always snuggled up on the couch together when I was little. But now it was a little more awkward.

I had a hard time keeping my attention on the film with him right next to me, admitting rays of delicious heat and his soft, musky scent that drove me crazy.

I was hyperaware of his proximity the entire time and my stomach kept turning into mush then tightening and before I knew I was dizzy off Jacob.

Plus, he was right; his nose was almost completely healed now just by looking at it. He didn't even have any bruising under his eyes, either. I was glad my Jacob wasn't in pain anymore. He was always good at hiding things he didn't want to show.

After the movie we played the PlayStation. His favorite game was Call of Duty and mine was Final Fantasy. We played each game with each other, cheering the other on and laughing the whole way through, finding small things to pick on.

When were done with the games we turned it onto normal TV and we found a good game on ESPN. I liked sports, too. Even more when I knew Jake loved them, too.

I curled up on the seat next to him and tried very hard not to snuggle into his heat. Plus, he was till shirtless. And that drove me even crazier.

But that all went out the window when he suddenly slung his arm over me and pulled me into his side casually. He always did this when I was young and it wasn't as weird as I'd thought it would be.

"Well, you're oddly quiet now," Jacob said after a few moments.

To tell the truth, I was simply relishing his body heat and his russet skin so close.

I cleared my throat, "Oh, I'm just a little tired. Single-handedly killing the British Army on PlayStation is very exhausting. Plus, I ate quite a bit and that usually tires me out, too."****

Jacob grinned, "I know. You're a little vacuum cleaner."

I faux-scoffed and hit his arm. "I am not."

He chortled, 'I'm just kidding. You weigh like a hundred pounds."

"One-twenty," I corrected.

"_One-twenty_, sorry," Jacob smiled. "You're still thin as hell."

He grabbed my arm. "Get some protein in there," he teased.

I laughed, feeling happy as ever. This was the life for me.

This is what it was like in the golden years with Jake as a kid. We joked and laughed all day long and went out and did things.

We did the same things nowadays, but we were different as people. My attraction to him hindered it with all the things that went through my head. I still had fun with him. Tons. But I couldn't help myself from marveling at him, or becoming star stuck, or stuttering when I looked at him too much. But the fact I laughed so hard my stomach ached for days overshadowed that. He was my friend first, and my adoring interest second.

I think I may have fallen asleep in his warm arms, because when I woke up again I heard a knock on the door, followed by some raucous noise.

Jacob sighed and I giggled.

The wolves were here.

Jake got up and pulled the door open and gestured for the guys to follow in.

I first heard Jared. Of course.

He entered first and immediately began his funny rampages.

"Yo, Jake," he said, slapping a hand on his back. Seth, Embry, and Collin entered and did the same. I laughed with each sharp slap on Jake's back and very soon his face became annoyed.

Jared finally said to Jacob's exasperated face, "Hey, here's one. One day in the forest, 3 guys were just hiking along a trail when all of a sudden, a huge pack of Indians attacked them and knocked them out. When they woke up,-" But Jacob abruptly covered Jared's mouth before he could continue, his words muffled by Jake's enormous hand.

"What do you guys want?" he asked. "I'm a little busy at the moment."

He freed Jared's mouth.

Jared finally noticed me, "Oh, I see. You're getting _busy_."

Jacob growled at him but I laughed and took no offence by it, even though I was visibly blushing at Jared's words.

"Hey, Jared, nice to see you, too." I stood up and hugged him and turned to Seth, a good friend and gave him one, too.

Embry was next.

If I had to pick one wolf besides Jacob, who was my best friend, Embry would be it. He was always there with Jake to make a joke, and like Jacob, he was easy to be around. Jared was too obnoxious, Seth was too shy, and Collin was so young and limited he was never around for me to see. I then noticed that Paul was missing out of the group. That must have been some fight this morning. And Quil was baby-sitting Claire, like every Saturday.

"Hey, Embry," I said, taking him in a big hug.

He held me close, too and I enjoyed being with the guys again.

"Hi, Nessie." He was almost as big as Jake, but clearly not as warm, though. No one could come close to Jake's soothing heat.

I released him and studied the group. I suddenly noticed Jacob looked a little upset for the moment, but I caught his eye and gave him a questioning look and smiled.

He shook his head and smiled back, but now having less feeling in his eyes.

I wonder what got into him. He was never upset when his brothers were around.

"So, what are you guys up to?" I asked, grinning at my giant friends. Not one of them was under six-two.

They all shrugged and Jared answered for them, "Nothing. Just got over the perimeter rounds and decided to come over and hassle Jakey here," he grinned, pinching Jake's arm.

Jacob rolled his eyes and smiled warily.

He was never shy when his friends picked on him, usually having a hilarious comeback. I figured it was because of me he was acting so coy.

"Okay, you guys can shut up now," he said, unable to fight a smile.

He then caught my grin and his face changed into one of his highly acclaimed, brilliant, infectious smiles and kept my gaze until I looked away to address the awaiting wolves.

My heart was soon fluttering again at incredible speed.

"Well, you guys have fun with that. But I have to go in a little while."

That was true. Looking at the clock on the coffee table it was getting later that I hoped for. The sky had been dark for a couple hours now.

But Embry pushed his bottom lip out in a funny, sad look. "Aww...don't go yet."

I laughed, "I'll stay for a half an hour more but Edward and Bella will be wanting me home before eleven."

The boys agreed, "Then let's not waste another minute."

Jared suddenly departed and dug through the kitchen closet and quickly returned with a beat up, old football.

"Are you game, Nessie?" he asked.

I grinned, "Yes. But the real question is...can _you_ handle it?"

The guys chuckled, "You're on."

"Jake?"

Jacob sighed, "Sure."

"Awesome," the wolves chorused and we all then exited out the door and went into the backyard where we picked teams.

In the end, I was paired with Jake and Seth. I loved my team, obviously. Jake was a great catcher, Seth was a great thrower, and I was good runner.

Together we creamed Jared, Embry, and Collin, ten to seven.

One of the most fun parts of the game was when Embry intercepted Seth's pass to me. I jumped ten feet in the air and caught it, only for Embry to come out of nowhere and tackle me down to the ground.

I laughed so hard and he fell on me, making my laughter even louder.

He laid on me, laughing, too. "Sorry," he managed, pulling me up onto my feet and brushing some grass on my shoulders. He winked at me before he left to go back into his position on left field.

But out of my peripheral I saw Jake staring at us, with a not-so happy look on his face. He was probably mad that Embry tackled me. Like Edward, Jacob was worried about my safety 24/7.

When Embry left, I looked at Jake and gave him a look that told him I was fine.

And the night continued to have laughs and games until I noticed the moon was almost straight overhead of me. I was really late.

After four games of intense football, I had to call it quits. The guys whined and begged me to stay but I couldn't.

"Oh c'mon, Nessie. If you leave we might _actually_ have to do something productive," Embry said.

"I'm sorry guys," I said. "But I'll see you later, okay?" They eventually calmed down and dispersed into the brush to go back to Sam, leaving the football in the middle of the field. I ran and got it and retuned to where Jacob stood.

"Well that was fun," he said, taking the ball from my hands.

I sniggered, "Yeah."

We then turned and started to walk towards the house again.

"Do you really have to go?" he asked. "Or were you just letting them down easy?" he joked.

I smiled, but then pretended to be offended, "Why? So I can only spend my time with you?"

He grinned at me, "A guy can dream, can he?" God I loved that smile. My insides turned to mush and I felt light-headed. He was so handsome and good to me.

Inside the house I began to gather my things. I didn't have much; I already had my shoes on and I just had to grab my newly washed tuber ware and I'd be off.

I turned to Jake, who was waiting at the door for me to leave with a happy grin on his face.

"Alright, Jake," I sighed. "I have to go."

He nodded sadly, "Okay. But I'll come over tomorrow."

I was going to agree, but then had an idea.

"Hey, we should go up to Olympia tomorrow." I remembered an event I read in the newspaper.

"They're having a festival up there. The natives are holding it," I said. "We could laugh at all their crackpot stories about wolves and the Indians that became them." I held up a hand next to mouth to signify a secret and he laughed. I loved joking about werewolves.

The natives up in Olympia had the closest fable stories about werewolves and it was nice to hear their versions of things, meanwhile, all their fairytales had already come true.

Jake's head shot up. "Yeah. Let's go."

I smiled. "I'll come over in the morning and we can go. I'll race your butt all the way to Olympia. And win."

He cocked his head, "Aww, you're cute when you think you can beat me."

He ruffled my hair and I smacked his hand away.

"Better luck next time, squirt."

"_Squirt_?" I repeated. "Ugh, you're so dead tomorrow."

He beamed at me and I headed towards the door.

However, before I exited, he abruptly pulled me into a bone-crushing bear hug that immediately left me breathless and confused.

I heaved a breath of air, "_Jake_..._you're crushing me_," I rasped. He chuckled and released me. I had to rub my midsection and take a few breaths.

"Thanks for that, but I like to keep my bones intact," I said.

With one hand on the door knob I thought of my goodbye and decided to act on it.

I slipped my hand into his warm one and I stepped up onto my tippy-toes and planted a kiss on his hot cheek.

He gulped and felt his throat move against my skin and I felt dizzy at his touch.

"Bye Jacob," I whispered and I took a moment to enjoy my closeness.

I then turned without further delay and walked out the front door, leaving Jake a little stunned.

I half-ran all the way home, almost walking on air. Happy, happy, blissful air, all the while I had Jacob's surprised, handsome face after I kissed his cheek on my mind.

I had butterflies again, as well.

I would see him again tomorrow, though. I was only several short hours away from returning to my own personal sun.

And with that, without Jacob, the night seemed colder than usual. The sky seemed darker and the moon duller; Jake's smile was like the bright, shining moon to me.

I couldn't live without him, and I never intended to go without my best friend.

**_****_Chapter's Song: "Golden Years" –David Bowie_**

* * *

**AN: Hey, guys. I just wanted to let you know I love writing for you all and I hope you read & review this chapter or even just the story in general. I want to hear all your comments, questions, concerns, or thoughts of the story.**

**Please let me know any thing you like, if it be an idea for the story's future or anything you are worried about, or if you think the story is going to slow or too fast etc etc. But to give a head's up; this is the last "foundation" chapter. You know the kind that set the story's setting. The next chapter is the start of the trouble in Forks, starting with Nessie's emotional state. I hope you're excited.**

**And I hope you all are planning on seeing Eclipse this next Wednesday-I know I am. I hope it's even better than New Moon. So far I have fallen in love with the soundtrack, my favorite song being "Chop and Change" by The Black Keys. You all should take a listen. You can also look on my updated profile page for a list of my favorite songs and movies (well , the only ones I could think of at that very moment of writing)**

**Anyway, see ya! Be patient and follow _Sleepless Rain_, Jacob and Nessie deserve your attention. Lol ****J **


	6. Say It Ain't So!

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_**Chapter Six: Say It Ain't So**_

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* * *

Of course I had another dream about Jacob that night. After being with him for so long my brain had to have conjured up one of my secret fantasies and throw it at me in my sleep.

And this one was even better.

This time we were in his house.

We were in a compromising position on his kitchen counter. I was sitting on the countertop and he was in between my legs, kissing me passionately.

My hands clung with his wide shoulders, with his hands running up and down my sides and arms, feeling as much as he could.

Meanwhile, the feeling in between my legs was throbbing, almost painfully. I moaned Jacob's name as he skimmed the tip of his nose along my jaw line and neck.

I could hear his throaty chuckle, and it vibrated against my throat and I bit back a hiss.

"Be patient, honey," he whispered roughly. But god knew I couldn't do that.

I pressed my hips closer to him and tightened my legs around his waist. I couldn't take the tortuous sensations anymore. It was both a blessing and a curse that I was wearing a dress right now; I could feel him that much closer.

And Jacob's hands continued to work their way up and down my body, his warm fingertips caressing my face, neck, arms, waist, and eventually he got down to my thighs and did the same thing in my last dream that drove me crazy.

His fingertips deliciously grazed along my knees and inner thighs. My fingers laced in his hair and I moaned.

"Oh, Jacob." I couldn't take it anymore.

Meanwhile, Jacob was trembling. We both wanted each other so, so bad.

His eyes were dark and determined as he intently gazed into my eyes. Both of us were breathing so loud and heavily. His eyes then raked over my entire body and I felt the need to squirm but I kept my eyes on his. Somewhere along my frame he bit his lip. I didn't know _my_ body could do that to him.

Jacob then looked back into my eyes and I swear they got bigger within the last moment.

He pulled my mouth back to his and mumbled, "I love you, Ness."

Suddenly, he lifted me right off the counter and I made a soft yelp.

He chuckled at it and held me closer.

"You never have to be scared with me, Ness."

I gazed at his beautiful face.

"I'm not," I whispered.

Jacob then carried me down the hallway, taking the dream along with us.

I woke feeling blissfully happy, not feeling upset or heartbroken that the dream had ended really. I enjoyed it and I was thankful the god blessed me with such dreams.

I stood up on stable legs, sunshine and chirping birds matching my mood.

I wasn't sweaty. I wasn't breathing erratically. I was actually the most relaxed I have felt in a long time.

I even woke up with a smile on my face.

Today was going to be a great day. I was going to Olympia with Jacob and nothing could bring down my high.

I practically floated down the stairs. I was home alone, as usual, and the house to perk up with every thought my mind could conjure that involved Jake.

I ate breakfast and got dressed in a hurry. I just wore some comfortable clothes seeing how we were going to be walking around Olympia all day and we were racing all the way. I just picked out some jeans, a gray cotton t-shirt, and my sneakers.

I walked all the way to Carlisle's on a cloud of passion.

I entered the house in a dreamy trance, saying hello to everyone.

Everyone, Jasper especially gave me an odd look.

"Are you okay, Nessie?" he asked, eyeing me. I think he knew what was going on. And I didn't care.

"I'm fine," I said, my voice was strangely high and happy.

Jasper's golden eyes squinted at me suspiciously..

"Seriously, everything's alright," I reassured. "I just had a very pleasant evening." That was all I was leaving him with before I left and went into the living room where most of the family was.

Carlisle was the first one noticed in the room. He was discussing something with Rosalie, leaving the conversation putting a scowl on her flawless face to say hello to me.

"Good morning, Renesmee. Did you sleep well?"

I nodded dreamily, "Definitely."

Something in my voice caused everyone in the room to look at me funny. Jasper cocked a wary eyebrow at me from behind a book.

Edward and Bella were absent from the group and when I asked, everyone simply said they were out. but the room was tense besides for Emmett who was quick to dish out comments.

Emmett grinned at me, "You know what that means, dontcha?"

I shook my head, "What?"

"They're getting in on," he bobbed his head in a comical manner.

I laughed, "Eww, gross, Em."

He abruptly stood up and took me into Rosalie in his arms, despite her protest. She laughed and fought against him

Meanwhile he sang in a loud raucous tone trying to impress his audience.

_"I've been really trying, baby. Trying to hold back this feeling for so long. And if you feel like I feel, baby, then, c'mon, oh, c'mon. Let's get it on. Ah, baby, let's get it on."_

I and everyone in the room began laughing, watching the two gracefully sway around the room as though it were the most engrossing show.

"_We're all sensitive people, with so much to give_." Emmett's voice deepened with every last line and I laughed even harder.

"How in the world do you know that's song, Em?" I asked, wiping laughing-tears from under my eyes.

He chuckled, his arms tightening around Rosalie's imprisoned waist.

"That was my mojo flow song back in seventy-three," he explained. "Isn't that right, babe?" he asked ironically, tickling Rose's sides until she howled with laughter.

Alice suddenly entered the room, with white bridal material slung over her entire body. Everyone whipped around prepared for her explosion.

"Will you guys keep it down!" she almost yelled. "I've been working here!" She threw all the dress material on the ground

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at her frightfully.

"I still have to place the corsage orders, consult with the cake decorator, plan with the cater-"

But Emmett interrupted her. "Please, Alice, you're nauseating me!"

She turned in his direction and pointed a thimbled finger in his direction.

"_You_!" she said. "You have been ridiculing me since the dawn of time. You never say anything nice to me and I'm sick of it! Find someone you're won size to pick on you awful, foolish, grabby gorilla."

This time, Rosalie cut her off. She held up her hands and tried to calm Alice.

"Alice, stop it," Rose warned. "You're just stressed. Quit taking it out on Emmett."

Alice continued to glare and point her finger in Rose's face.

"And _you_," Alice yelled. "I stood up for you, you bedazzled, narcissistic cream puff! I told when Jacob planned to hump your leg in front of everybody as a birthday gift!"

At that I almost laughed. I managed a snort and Alice turned to me next, and my heart almost stopped.

"As for you," she yelled.

My eyes widened with fear, but somehow the words never came.

Alice just stared at with, at first, angry eyes. However, they then melted into sadness as she stared into my eyes, and before I knew it, Alice was crying.

But vampires did not cry tears, however. Alice's face just scrunched up and she cupped her face with her hands, making awful noises.

With a flash of light Jasper was at her side, consoling her.

"Come on, honey. Come on, you're alright." He cooed, leading her out the door, and as far as I knew, out of the house.

I stared after them, but Emmett broke the silence.

"Jesus Christ, talk about PMS," he said.

Rosalie smacked his arm away from her waist.

"It's your fault in the first place," she scolded.

Rosalie left the room, scowling.

Emmett looked utterly confused. "What did I do?" he asked.

He looked at all of us in question.

Carlisle, who had been silent throughout this whole fight, had then spoken up.

"You speak before you think, Emmett. You need to learn to keep your mouth shut." I have never heard Carlisle so mean before. And he was the compassionate one.

Carlisle then stood up and snapped a thick volume closed and tossed it back onto the sofa.

"It wouldn't be the first time you're mouth has gotten us into trouble," he added before leaving the room, too.

Emmett looked at the only two remaining people in the room: Esme and I.

She gawked at her husband's departure and whispered, "That isn't like him."

"I know," I murmured.

Esme sighed, ignoring Emmett's complaints.

"I'm going to check out the problem." Esme quickly fluttered from the room, leaving only Emmett and me.

He didn't look at me.

I didn't look at him.

"He's right," he mumbled. "He is _so_ right."

But Emmett still didn't look at me. He was looking at the ground, and I thought for that moment to be the right one to dismiss myself.

I left the once happy, cheerful home with heavy feet.

This was more than stress on Alice. She only got like this when there was something going on mentally she was having a hard time coping with. She must've had a frightening vision and has been panicking all this time. That was the most plausible explanation.

I walked along the grass and when I looked up again, I saw two advancing figures.

They were walking hand in hand and looking all lovey-dovey and I soon realized it was my very own parents.

I waited a moment for them to get closer, in which they smiled widely.

"Good morning, Sweetie," my dad kissed my hair and Bella grinned.

"Morning," I said. "Um...you guys might not want to go in there."

Their beautiful faces were quickly creased with worry, "Why? What happened?"

I sighed and told them the story, in which they both looked at each other fretfully.

"It's getting worse," Edward mumbled.

His tone reminded me of my confusion. "What's getting worse?"

They shook their heads.

"Nothing, honey," Bella said.

Disappointed, I nodded. "Well, I'm going to Jake's. We planned on going up to Olympia for today and see the festival."

They seemed to perk up at the proposal.

"Alright, Nessie," Bella tucked a curl behind my ears.

"We'll see you tonight." They then departed in the opposite direction towards our cottage and I continued to walk towards Jacob's.

I was soon floating on a cloud again. Now that I was clear of frantic vampires I was able to reminisce about last night's dream and I was soon ecstatic with anticipation.

I ran instead of walked, feeling elated and dreamy. I was in love with Jacob. But I was too scared to change anything out of my own imagination. For some reason, it all seemed more real in my mind. Maybe Jake was feeling the same way.

And god, I hoped so very much.

I arrived in La Push on a puff of happiness. Nothing could damage my mood. Nothing. I was going to spend my day with my Jacob and I was going to have the time of my life.

When I came over to Jake's I always arrived towards the back of the house, seeing how if a random human driver along the interstate saw me running eighty miles per hour, I think I would be the cause of a heart related death.

I paused at the brush to catch my breath, I ran much faster and harder than I usually did even when hunting. I simply could not wait another moment.

I then almost bounced across his backyard, and I was about to step onto his front porch and jump into my best friend's arms...when I heard voices.

It was Jacob.

And...Leah? If I was Leah her voice sounded so stressed.

I crept along the siding of the house and peaked around the side of the edging, not wanting to bother their conversation. Besides, their voices sounded concerned and hushed and I hated interrupting people.

I strained my eyes just enough to see them sitting on the front porch rail.

Leah had her head down, and I suddenly realized she was crying. I gawked in awe; Leah Clearwater was not a crier.

And Jacob was right next to her, consoling her from what I could hear.

I looked closer, and I saw Jacob then reach out and hold her hand, and scooted closer to her, wrapping his arm around her.

Leah's beautiful face looked at him with heartfelt eyes, and she moved closer almost to the point she was on his lap.

She smiled at him, and I couldn't see Jake's face. He had his back to me.

My eyes were open wide enough to smack my forehead as I watched as he Jacob slowly placed a small kiss on Leah's cheek. It was brief, but loving.

She grinned behind her tears and touched Jake's face, and she began to lean closer towards his mouth.

I almost puked my heart and swallowed it again. Say it wasn't so.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, this cannot be happening!

It can't be!

IT JUST CAN'T!

...But it did.

It did, indeed.

Leah kissed my Jacob.

She kissed him.

She did something I have been dreaming of for years.

Leah leaned in close, keeping her eyes on his, and she got close and brushed her rosy lips against his.

She then went in for a full kiss. And let me tell you one thing: Jacob didn't stop it.

I felt everyone bone lock into place.

I heard a heartbroken sound and I realized...it was me.

I was crying now.

Oh my god, they were going to hear me.

But Jacob wouldn't care though...he loved Leah.

The power of that statement was the only thing that made me move.

Next thing I knew I was running, faster that I had even in my nightmares.

I cried and cried and cried as I ran, feeling sick to my stomach and hoping I would die soon.

Jacob loved Leah.

Not me.

Not...me.

I didn't know what direction I was headed in until I saw the bright lights of the city.

I ran for hours and hours. Moisture and fog soon stuck to my face and matted my hair and I was windblown with exhaustion and despair.

Not before long I ended up in Olympia somehow.

The festival was in full swing, people running and laughing and I saw many drunken people slosh their drinks all over themselves. Twilight was coming over the city.

Music was blaring as I reared the party procession. Everyone was headed down onto the main field for fireworks and I worked my way against the current of humans.

I didn't know what to do, so I just kept walking, meanwhile strange sounds were escaping from my throat that I could not separate between sounds of anguish or weakness.

I walked along the street of people, dodging their drunken stupor and I studied the little cubicles and arts and crafts stand the festival was known for.

I walked by a dream catcher's booth, and I almost cried out. Jacob had given me a dream catcher for my birthday last year...and it meant nothing.

I walked by a painter. He was a native, painting the shapes of wolves in the forest; they're fuzzy, beautiful bodies overlapping in the wind. I soon deciphered it was a pair of wolves, morphing as one.

I got weak knees.

That was like Leah and Jacob.

I guess it made sense, you know. She has been in his pack, his intimate guest into his mind. If anyone knew Jacob better than Bella or even me, it was Leah Clearwater. They had history as understanding friends.

I'd imagine they would fall for each other along the way.

But every thought of them together ripped my heart apart even more.

I couldn't feel my chest; my heart felt as though it was numbed and removed by a pair of dirty kitchen sheers and thrown into the deepest ocean.

I could only feel an unoccupied cavity where my heart once was.

I soon noticed people were staring at me.

Of course, I was still streaming with tears. Who would believe that a young woman, stumbling along a street fair, probably mumbling something about her once wolf-lover was sane and stable?

_Screw them_, I thought. They weren't feeling what I was feeling.

I kept walking until I hit the edge of the city. Olympia was a very large city in which I covered its ground in little time. Looking back, I don't know how I knew what direction to go to. I passed blocks of businesses and people, several parks, and even the occasional night club. Men wolf-whistled at me as I stumbled through the streets, and I didn't think anything of it.

I cold remember several people grabbing my arm in the middle of the street, asking me if I was okay. I couldn't even begin to imagine the state I looked like right now.

I mumbled something unintelligible and staggered onward.

In the end, I stopped on the same interstate my family used for travel. Their scent was very, very faint in the air but still quite evident.

I couldn't see still, my eyes were tear-blurred and I counted on my vampire senses to guide me through the night.

It got dark very quickly. But I was too scared to fret over trivial fears of what could happen to me practically hitchhiking Washington State.

My head hit the pavement around three in the morning. There was very little, light traffic and I was in the ditch so no one would run over me. Besides, I'd do more damage to their vehicle more than to myself.

The smell of rotting leaves and mud filing my nostrils was what I laid in as I passed in and out of sleep over the next several hours.

I stayed there until I felt the cold, stable hands of a vampire pick me up.

I was exhausted and on the verge of passing out again and I caught the familiar scent of my father. He was always saving me, it seemed.

Edward's, snowy, frigid fingers wiping away my warm tears and his stricken face was the last thing I saw before I slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

_**Chapter's Song: "Say it Ain't So" -Weezer**_

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**__****AN: Please read and review. I would love to hear your guy's thoughts on this chapter. Like I said, this is where the first signs of trouble in Nessie's life begins. But trust me, it gets even more complicated in the future...**

**__****What's on your mind about this new situation?**

****


	7. Knock You Down

_**._.**_

_**Chapter Seven: Knock You Down**_

_**._.**_

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The next day I awoke in a blur. In the hours of sleep I managed to stay awake, I suffered, even in my dreams. I had nightmares again, the same one involving me being chased down a city street, a cold, piercing laugh filling the air.

My eyes were still wet when I regained consciousness. I guess it's plausible to cry in your sleep.

I wiped away the tears and used the most energy I had to even stand up.

I was weak with misery. _His_ face filled my eyes and I lost control of my emotions. I couldn't take the fact _he_ was in love with _her_. I loved him so deeply myself that I couldn't imagine him loving anyone else. Is that selfish? Or is that just my overactive, wistful imagination wishing he'd love me back?

I had no answers. Simply questions.

I spent the morning curled up on the couch. Edward and Bella let me be and they left for the night to give me my privacy. They were so worried about me when I disappeared, even sending out a family search party that included the wolves.

That meant _he_ was looking for me.

I was then thankful Edward found me instead of _him_. I don't know what would have come out of my mouth if he had. Words of pain, anger, sorrow, maybe even bile.

The only thing I remember from last night was Edward holding me close to his cold body as he flew through the darkness. Lights blinded my eyes as we neared home and I heard sounds of relief. Bella ran to me and hugged me close, even taking me from Edward and home as my entire family looked on with weary eyes. I didn't want to cause any trouble among my family, but they have always stressed over my safety. And what I did wasn't exactly smart.

When I got home, I didn't comprehend much of the talk and the questions that were aimed at me. I remained silent as the tears trailed down my face.

In my weak, dim vision, I saw the wolves in the distance, across the way, peering in from the brush of the woods. One wolf's face caught my attention, as you could imagine. But I fell into unconsciousness before I could begin another round of sobbing after seeing my best friend again.

Bella tried to hold me while I slept. I remember pushing her away and screaming in protest. I was not able to control myself last night. I just wanted to be alone. Through the night they sat outside my door, until I used my rampage to stomp outside and yell my way towards solitude.

They left and went somewhere unknown.

I felt regretful when I realized I wasn't just alone, I was lonely.

I felt so cold, as well, even going as far as sweatpants, thick socks, and a big sweatshirt that once belonged to Emmett.

My grief made me freeze.

But it wasn't cold out, at all. The sun shined through the drapes I pulled closed to let me wallow. The weather was mocking my mood.

Tears continued to steal my attention. The day passed in a wet, sad haze until the moon shined through the living room drapes and night fell over me.

I couldn't take the hollow, fruitless moon's gaze, and so I went back to my bedroom to cry against my pillow.

The next morning, I found that Edward and Bella had cleared out before I woke up. I could barely fathom the way I have been treating everyone. I was probably scarier than Alice right now in my state.

I got up in a haze and I walked on uneasy legs across the house, I didn't eat and decided to take a walk to take the edge off my pain.

It wasn't until after I woke up that I realized I was crying unconsciously. I couldn't bridge the dam of tears, and so they broke down and made their way down my soaked, sore cheeks.

Thirty minutes into the walk, I began to hum a tune.

Just a random tune of a song I once heard as a child. My father was a huge fan of oldies music, and so when we sometimes stayed home together as a family, old 50's singers would be playing the background.

_"Summertime and the living is easy. Fish are jumping and the cotton is high. Your daddy's rich and your ma is good looking. So hush, little baby, don't you cry," _I sang quietly among the trees, feeling the soft summer breeze against my wet cheeks.

I couldn't take the sorrow, I just wanted to die as it seemed.

Jacob loved Leah, how could I get over it?

I couldn't, couldn't I?

"Ness?" A happy voice called from the distance.

My heart dropped to my stomach.

Jacob. He was coming.

He didn't know anything about the fact I saw him and Leah together, and last night Bella told him I simply got lost going off on Olympia on my own.

I scrambled to wipe my cheeks and quickly blew my eyes cool of the burning tears and I sniffed. Straightening my clothes out of habit, I turned just in time to see my best friend brake through the brush. "I thought I heard your beautiful voice."

"Hey Jake," I said, putting my best fake smile on. It hurt so, so badly to even pretend to be happy. But Jake deserved my friendship, even if he could never love me. I would try my best not to let him and Leah get to me so far that I have to ignore my greatest ally.

Jacob smiled brilliantly at me and my heart swelled. He was so utterly handsome that it broke my heart even further with every look into those deep, dark, kind eyes.

He threw me up into a tight, warm embrace and it was killing me to be close. How was I going to cope with this? 

When he set me down he looked at me half serious, but I was still getting over his strong, chiseled body hugging mine and I felt like slapping myself.

"Nessie, why _did_ you get lost yesterday? I mean, were you just that tore up about losing against my impressive racing skills that you had to scope out the lay of the land before the race?" He looked at me under his lashes in a comical manner and it was tough not to grin back.

I could kiss him right now. But at the same time, I couldn't.

"Oh, how conceited Jake," I faux-scoffed, fighting off a smile. "Always so touchy when it comes to your ego."

He chuckled and grinned brightly.

How in the world is he smiling to me like that but he loves Leah? This is so confusing?

"Then why were you in Olympia without me?"

My face felt hot as I quickly thought of an answer. "Um...Embry told me you had perimeter watch and that your whole day was spent doing pack stuff," I lied. I didn't mean to bring Embry into this, but it was the first alibi I had.

Jacob's face abruptly turned serious. "_Oh_," he said. "_Embry_ told you that? Huh..."

I grinded my teeth together, now poor Embry was going to get a tongue lashing later on...

But to get his mind off Embry I put on my best happy-girl act. My mind mulled over things to say like _"How's the pack"? _(But that included Leah) or "_So what did you do yesterday_?" (But that involved me running away because of him and Leah) So I just kept my mouth shut for a moment until Jake spoke again.

"Well, just because of yesterday doesn't mean we cannot do stuff together today. We can still spend the whole day together if you'd like?" he proposed.

And on his last word, he reached over and took my hand into his warm, rough one.

I wouldn't let this go any further. It couldn't!

Jake then took his index finger and lifted my chin equal to his face.

Whoa, what was happening? How could be so close to me and not think of her?

His forestry scent filled my nose and his face was so close to me and I felt extremely dreamy and dizzy. Jacob didn't understand the hold he had on me, the gravity force making me not run away right now. And he was toying with my emotions unknowingly.

"Ness," he whispered. It wasn't a question, just a statement and he looked into my eyes deeply and my knees turned to Jell-O and my arms felt like noodles at my sides. I couldn't take this anymore!

I bit my lip and he looked at me with a gorgeous smile. Jacob began to lean in-I had to stop this here and now.

"Jake!" I exclaimed, shoving myself from him.

Jacob looked utterly stunned and he quickly turned into a panic mode.

"What! What's wrong, Ness?" he whipped around to see if anything dangerous was around, expecting danger.

To me, his affections were the most dangerous thing around right now.

"Nothing," I breathed. "Nothing's wrong." I kept my eyes averted.

Jake walked over to where I stood. "Nessie, why are you so edgy? You're never like that."

I shook off his suspicions. "I'm not edgy," I miffed.

"Then why'd you yell at me just a moment ago?" He was raising his voice a little with each syllable.

"I-I don't know," I said. It was the best excuse I had without confronting him about Leah.

He cocked his head to the side and kept quiet for what seemed like the longest time, studying my face.

"What are you waiting for?" I asked, unable to keep scorn out of my voice.

He took a step back and shook his head, a little hurt from my tone.

"Just seeing if my Ness was still in there..."

That stung. I was still here as his friend, entirely. Jake just needed to separate his best friend and his lover and keep it that way. There was no way I was going to let do that to Leah, not after how much pain she's already been through.

My face and voice suddenly melted and turned soft. "Of course I'm here, Jake. I just don't understand it..."

"Understand what?"

"I don't understand why?"

He looked a little perplexed at that. "Nessie, you're my best friend. Obviously I'm going to want to be around you," he smiled, taking me into another hug; one that I was not able to handle.

My hands were balled by my sides, trying very hard not to hold him and become lost in his scent and embrace.

I ripped myself out of his arms. "I'm sorry, I can't Jacob!" I yelled, starting to run in the opposite direction.

"Ness," he called, keeping pace with me.

His arms caught me around the waist and he spun me around and looked at me wildly like I was crazy.

"What is with you?"

I was angry. Not only because Jacob didn't understand what he was doing to Leah right now, but because I couldn't take the temptation and his persistence.

"You now what is going on, Jacob!" I shrieked, throwing my arms in the air.

His eyes widened and he yelled back, "Honestly, I don't know! Enlighten me."

How could he not know! I shook my head exasperatedly and marched away, all the while, a six-foot seven werewolf kept my pace.

Jacob grabbed my arm. "Nessie, tell me what is going on. _Now_." The alpha was coming out in his voice, the voice that my knees buckle and want to obey him. The voice also inginited the peculiar feeling between my legs and I was soon embarrassed to be feeling like that a time like this.

However, that meant he was angry now. Jacob has never used the alpha voice, and has never even raised him voice with me. Ever.

"No! I am not! I can't handle this, anymore!"

My hand acted for me and it punched the tree closest to us. It hit the forest floor with an impressive thundering _boom_ and I stared at, frightened by my own anger.

Meanwhile, my hand screamed in protest, a sickening crack from the bones echoed in my ears.

"Oh, my _god_!" I screamed, the hurt radiating through my whole hand. I doubled over in pain and tried very hard not to scream again.

"Nessie, Nessie are you okay?" Jacob was panicked and tried to touch my hand and I backtracked slowly, tears of pain leaking from my eyes.

"_Stay away from me_!"

I was running now, my only memory was Jake's shocked and pained face as he stared after me. He didn't attempt to catch me again, obviously dazed and confused.

But he had to know why.

Leah.

I was fully overdoing it with my half vampire speed, hurrying to get home to my parents, and to a doctor. The pain in my hand was sickeningly intense.

When I broke through the brush and saw the big house, a whole team of vampires were waiting for me with concerned faces. One vampire in particular stepped forward and took me into his arms.

"Nessie we heard yelling. What's happening?" Edward held me close and looked at me with wild eyes, expecting danger. But there was no danger, only anger.

"My hand," I said, crying awfully, almost unable to produce full sentences over my sobbing. "I hurt it."

Carlisle rushed over and took it gingerly. He pressed into my palm and it was sore enough to make me hiss. But when his hands squeezed my knuckles, a loud scream escaped from my mouth.

"Four shattered knuckles," he announced with remarkable expertise. "I'll repair them immediately," he said, taking both of my hands and leading me inside and into the living room, Esme and Rosalie tailing behind us.

"Get me my supply bag," he said to Esme, who quickly flittered from the room.

"Rosalie, get me ice and a dishtowel."

"On it," she ran so fast I barely knew she was gone until I felt the freezing, soothing touch of ice on my hand. He wrapped it in the dishtowel and kept the pressure on it until Esme returned. Rosalie sat next to me and took the other hand into hers. "It's going to be okay, sweetie." She wiped the tears from my cheeks and I noticed my breath was hitching.

Esme returned with Carlisle's doctor bag, sitting opposite Esme and holding my shoulder while I winced.

Carlisle zipped open the bag and took out instruments I had no name for. He braced my hand against the table and took out a flat, silver tool and he brushed it over my hand, studying the order of bones.

"You may have also broken two proximal phalanges, as well," he said. I didn't know what that meant until he took my hand, gave me a forgiving look, and suddenly squeezed the bones, and I let out a horrifying scream that echoed off the walls.

"I had to break the bones back into place. I'm sorry," he said compassionately.

"That's one nasty break," he added.

I nodded in agreement while the tears came down and down as the minutes passed painfully slow as he fixed my mess of a hand.

"There," he said softly after what seemed like an eternity of waiting. I looked down and saw my hand in pale gauzes, wrapped in a black brace.

"If you wear the brace and keep it on, I won't make you wear a cast."

"Okay." My voice was extremely rough. Carlisle then handed me a bottled of little, light blue pills. "Take this every five hours; they will help with the pain."

"Agony," I corrected and he smiled.

"Agony," he agreed, packing up his bag. Esme handed me a glass of water then, which I drunk savagely, not noticing how thirsty I was until I drank the entire glass and asked for more.

Esme sat next to me on the couch, pushing the hair out of my eyes and kissed my cheek.

"Nessie, you better stay inside," Carlisle said.

"Why?"

He looked at me but was listening closely to something distant, something outside.

"Just because."

He and Rose left the room and I heard the front door slam. Esme stayed with me, probably there to make sure I didn't leave. She turned on the TV and pretended Carlisle's words weren't purposeful and acted calmly.

Whatever it was, was outside. My hearing was not as well adapted as full vampires, but it almost heard everything one could. I strained my ears, keeping my eyes fixed on the TV- a precaution for Esme, so she wouldn't notice I was listening on what was occurring beyond these walls.

Outside, I heard Edward's voice bellow, "What did you do, _dog_?"

"I didn't do a thing, _leech_!" It was Jacob.

"There has to be something she broke her own hand over!"

"She's been acting so strange, I don't know what has come over her! She got angry over something I'm unaware of. That's it!"

"I don't buy it, fur ball," Rosalie said. "There has to be something you said."

"Shut it, Blondie!"

"Rose, stay out of this!" Edward shouted. "And you stay away from my daughter, Jacob. Not until she tells us what happened."

"I think you're just jealous she spends more time with me than she does you. And you never approved of that!"

But Bella then interfered; I could imagine her stepping in between the two of them, trying to be the least dogmatic.

"Hey! I thought we were over this rivalry seven years ago!" she bellowed. "If this is just a rekindle of your years of arguing over Renesmee's affections, then you both need to stay out of this! We need to get to the bottom of her latest actions."

No one spoke for a few moments.

Carlisle then became mister informative. "Edward, its nothing _too_ serious. She just suffered a nasty shatter in her knuckles. Nonetheless, she _will_ heal in _short time_."

"Aww, seems like my fighting practices all were for nothing," Emmett added sarcastically. But I heard a hollow thud and he shut up. No doubt, it was Rosalie hitting him.

Edward then had the last proposition.

"_You_ will _not_ see her," he said to Jacob. But that's not what I wanted. I wanted to _see_ Jake. And I just wanted him to be honest about loving Leah and be faithful to _her_.

However, I did not hear a response. Only heard soft footsteps and everyone reentered the house and dispersed into different rooms.

Bella walked in the living room, her face would have been red with anger if she were human. But I heard everything and so I knew her standpoint on the argument. She was with neither Edward nor Jacob. Always Switzerland.

"Don't let them take him away from me," I whispered to her as she slung me up into her arms.

We ran out of the big house and along the afternoon sky towards our home.

"Don't worry, _I'm_ not," she murmured soothingly. "But Edward might."

New, fresh tears began to fall at the gravity of her words. They were going to make Jacob stay away? That was worse than having him lie about Leah. That was worse than death itself, it seemed. I would spend the rest of my life watching him love Leah instead of me, only if I could be near him. If only I could love my best friend in secret.

I didn't know what to do at all now.

The house was in view, but so was Edward, his back was to me and Bella. I did not understand why until I realized Jacob was on the other side of him, fighting to get to me. And once he saw my advancing figure, he ran in my direction.

But Edward caught him and held him back; meanwhile Jacob thrashed around him and yelled my name.

"Nessie! I don't know what I did, but will you _please _forgive me!" he begged across the field. But Edward kept him at bay and Bella ran even faster to get me inside the house.

"Let me see her!" he scorned Edward.

I stopped at the door and turned in Bella's arms.

"Dad!" I called.

Edward turned with Jake still trapped in his arms.

"It was all my fault," I admitted. "Jake didn't do anything to make me angry. It was just a misunderstanding. Let him go."

It was a rotten lie, of course, but if I made Jacob sleep at night and Edward back down then I'd do it. However, Jacob knew it was a lie, too, so he would also be aware of my attempt to save him from Edward's disdain, which may notify Jake that I'm still his best friend and that I'm not furious with him.

The last thing I would want is for Jacob to think that I never want to see him again.

But I then ducked into the house and I ran upstairs, despite Bella's pleas to make me stay and talk with her.

I went up into my bedroom, slammed the door, crawled under my bed, and I did not resurface.

I cried and cried until there was nothing more to feel. My mind was clouded with Jacob's face, his and Leah's kiss, Edward's wrath, and Bella...well, being Bella, her kindness and calm concern being a safe haven from judgmental family members.

I cried for myself last, seeing how I was the most pathetic thing in this equation.

And the last thing I saw before sleep evaded me...was a memory.

A very happy memory.

A very powerful memory.

Jacob and I were on the beach. I was about two or three –physically- and he had taken me there for a fun day out together.

I remember he taking me out onto the water, holding me close as we waded in the chilling waves. He laughed happily when I tried to beat through the water on my own and I was not getting more than a few feet away from him.

Jacob took me into his arms, and I was suddenly covered in delicious heat after the freezing waters. And he swam with me for hours it seemed, always holding me, never letting go. All the while, I was having the time of my life with my best friend. Laughing and running and swimming and thinking life would never get any better.

"Jakey," I asked as he carried me along the shore. My voice was high and young.

"Yeah, honey?"

"Will you always be my best friend?"

He seemed utterly surprised at my question and he hugged me tighter, making me feel even safer in his warm, comfortable embrace.

"Of course I will always be your best friend, Nessie," he answered. "I love you so much, I could never stop. No matter what. Always remember that."

I never knew love could knock you down so hard.

And as I cried myself to sleep, I wondered if he really meant that...

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_**Chapter's Song: "Knock You Down" -Keri Hilson feat. Kanye West/Ne-Yo **_

_***wait for the chorus, it basically tells you why I chose it.**_

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**AN: How do you feel about this? Why do think Jacob is so confused on what happened with Nessie? And do you think what Nessie saw about Jacob and Leah was exactly what she thought?**

**Please review! **

**Oh, and this chapter is dedicated to the very lovely _luv2beloved. _She has reviewed all my chapters and has kept me posted on the details of her thoughts. Again, thank you so much!**

**I know I'm leaving you hanging in the wind, expecting for the big event to happen in this story and I'm proud to say it's coming soon! Just be patient and be ready! I'm thinking that chapter 12 will start out in a very surprising way and will be the kick off of Jacob and Nessie's life together, running from the dangers everyone has been so edgy about. Chapters 8-11 is Nessie dealing with what has happened and the very well-awaited wedding event I think you guys will really appreciate...**


	8. You, Me, and My Medication

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_**Chapter Eight: You, Me, and My Medication**_

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**AN: Hey guys, I'm giving this chapter out a day early since I had it all ready for you and I could not wait, plus it is the FOURTH OF JULY, and what way better to celebrate that than give you a chapter? lol jk**

**But, just to let you know, this is a pretty standard chapter. There is not really any action or drama -not until the very end- and it is simply Nessie and Bella bonding and Nessie discovering a way to cast her pain elsewhere, all of which is spanning over the course of several, painful days. But enjoy, anyway.**

**And please wish me luck on my throat surgery that is taking place on the 8th. Just a standard tonsil and abnoid removal I'm getting, in fact I'm going to be one of almost 30 people getting them done that day. I've always had large tonsils which gave me strep, but now I'm getting older in my teens and its getting worse. Now I go in for surgery. :( But a little fear is normal, they say. **

**Anyway, here you are...chapter eight of _Sleepless Rain_**

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My whole body was numb.

I was numb because of my grief.

I was numb due to the heavy amounts of medication Carlisle used to make my shattered knuckles feel better.

I didn't remember much after I got home. And I stayed home alone and dealt with the pain as best I could. But how much could I, weak Renesmee Cullen, be strong enough to deal with a King Kong sized pain.

As you could imagine, I was not doing very well.

The following days went in the same schedule of distorted hazes.

I didn't eat; I didn't sleep more than five hours combined. I was a wreck.

But the family left me alone. After a protesting rampage to be in privacy, they understood my needs. However, how long was it going to be before they came looking for me?

I felt relived when I heard the front door open softly one morning and the light footsteps of a vampire mount the staircase. From the smell I could tell it was Bella.

She opened the door an inch and peaked through the gap, her beautiful face creased with concern.

"Renesmee?" she asked cautiously.

I sat up in bed with difficulty. "Yeah, Mom?" my voice was broken and rough.

Bella entered and took careful steps forward. "How are you feeling?"

I shrugged my tired shoulders. "I'm fine." The pain in my hand had subsided with the medication

She nodded watchfully and sat on the corner of my bed.

"I think...we need to talk, okay?"

I didn't want to talk about it. I just wanted her stay with me. But if that was what it took to make my mother stay...

"Alright," I whispered.

Bella took the first statement. "Edward won't let Jacob near the house still. Can you explain that to me?"

I hung my head. His very name hurt me alone.

"Edward doesn't know anything, honey. He only suspects something went wrong in between you two," she said. "And I won't say anything to him. I know above all people; your father is the one person you don't want clued in on your personal life."

I nodded. I loved how Bella knew how to word things to make me feel better.

"I saw him with...Leah," I manage before the water works kicked in.

"In what way?"

"I saw her...kiss him," I whispered. "I saw them over on his porch, they kissed, and I ran. That's what happened the night Dad found me in Olympia."

Bella then moved up on the bed until she lay next to me, taking me into her arms.

"I tried to stay away and deal with the pain as best I could, but Jacobcame looking for me the next day and acted like nothing was happening between Leah and him. I thought I'd be okay. However, it's much harder to act like nothing is wrong and continue being friends.

And I punched a tree because I couldn't take his sincerity. He was truly worried and cared for my safety and I didn't get it. How could be worried about me and love Leah? I am just _so_ confused!"

Bella stayed quiet for what seemed like an eternity.

"Renesmee, I'm sorry. But Jacob loves you, honey. He's your best friend and you cannot deny that. He loves you so much that... he even imp-" But she then stopped herself quickly and looked down shamefully.

"He what?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing."

When I knew she wasn't going to finish her sentence, I suspected it was apart of the inside troubles no one was speaking to me about. I knew that asking about said inside troubles was out of the question, so I continued.

"He may love me...like a sister. But now that's all going to change...He's going to hate me now."

"He could never hate you, trust me," Bella breathed.

"I can tell you one thing, Nessie. Jacob would never dream of hurting you. He's hurting over it right now as we speak," she said. "I've never seen him like this. He doesn't even know what he did, honey. And now you are in physical pain because of something he may have done. You cannot even imagine the state he's in, too, honey."

"I don't get it, though. Why does he care so much?"

I closed my eyes and came to an awful decision as the moments of silence passed.

"Mom...I'm going to leave Jacob alone. He loves Leah and he's free to do whatever he pleases. It's none of my concern." It was a painful decision, of course. One that I could barely make.

Bella didn't answer me, she only held me closer as I cried again.

She consoled me the best she could. But even Bella couldn't change my mind, and definitely not what happened.

The next day, Bella still lay with me when I woke.

She smiled the best she could, but I could not return the favor.

It took everything in her vampire power to get me out of bed, dressed, and over to Carlisle's, the whole time I protested. We walked along the warm, summery trails towards the house, but my state did not match the brightness of the day. I looked over and saw my mother sparkle as we passed a sunny patch in the trail. My own glowed quietly.

"Mom? You won't tell them anything, would you?" I asked desperately.

"Don't worry, I won't. I promise. They can guess what's going on with you but you don't have to tell them a thing."

"And Edward can't read my mind, so he cannot know, either. If they ask, I'll just pretend you didn't say anything." She held her finger up to lips like a zipper."My lips are sealed," she vowed

I hugged Bella. "Thank you," I whispered.

I entered the house, with shaky, weak, sorrow driven legs and I prepared for the anxious stares of my family.

And I was not let down. As soon as my feet passed over the doorframe, they're golden, apprehensive eyes made me squirm and I soon felt like hyperventilating.

Rosalie and Esme looked the most mournful. Alice was scowling at the floor, but not angrily, simply unsettled, giving me nervous glances from under her lashes.

Jasper, Emmett, and Carlisle were more forceful in their gazes. They were studying me like a science project, and I didn't like the distinction. They thought I was a ticking time bomb, I bet.

Bella heard my quiet whimper and held me closer, I think she even gave my audience a dirty look and she led me towards the kitchen.

"Maybe I should just go back to bed," I said, slumping against the counter.

Bella took my hand and lifted my chin.

"Hey? You listen to me," she ordered. "Look at me."

I begrudgingly lifted my eyes to hers as well.

"We love you, Renesmee. We love you," she explained with a voice ever-so sincere. "They are only concerned for your safety and your well being. Not one of us wants to make you uncomfortable."

I sniffed back tears. "I know that," I murmured. "It still doesn't change their suspicions."

"What do they think happened to me anyway?"

Bella looked hesitant to answer, but her words then came out in a fast blur of syllables.

"It's mixed. Rose, Esme, and Alice all think you may have snapped under the pressure of the wedding. Jazz, Em, and Carlisle seem to believe you are finally feeling the true effects of growing up, meaning your emotions and hormones are out of whack. But Edward and I knew right away that it was about Jake. Except, Edward's more forceful about his suspicions, hence Jacob being band from the house."

Bella then took my broken hand gingerly. "But Carlisle would be one to consider medication if it turns into a depression type issue."

My eyebrows mashed together, "Depression? I'm just upset, not depressed. Jake is one of my only sources of happiness and now he's in love with Leah," I clarified. "Coping is the hardest part." I soon noticed my words were dripping with disdain; this was an extremely touchy concept for me.

"That's what I thought," Bella said. "I know you better than Carlisle does."

The moments of silence passed and then Bella took my unbroken hand and led me over to the prepare station in the kitchen. She was not going to let me just sit around and wallow in my painful delirium, wasn't she?

"I am making lunch for Charlie. Would you care to help me?"

I actually thought about quitting on her and slinking back into a long sleep.

"Alright," I agreed, taking out a cutting board and brandishing a chef's knife. "What are we making?"

"A spicy-ginger Thai recipe Sue really likes and we're trying to make him eat it. Charlie only trusts me with new foods."

I sighed hollowly, and added dry humor to my words. "Just hand over the peppers and no one gets hurt."

Bella laughed and handed me the package.

She turned on happy music and we began to work in silence, her sautéing the chicken dices and making rice, and I chopping the pepper and ginger, being very careful not to use the broken knuckles too much.

"Michael Buble," I commented. She smiled in agreement.

I sang along quietly, not able to help myself. "_When we dance you have away with me. Sway with me, oh, sway with me_..." I sang somberly.

We worked together in silence.

After that Carlisle came in a little while later, asking me to take more pain killer for the hand.

He held my hand delicately and studied the state of my knuckle.

"You should be healed in about a week," he said. "You're lucky to be a hybrid, Nessie, or you'd be out for months."

I didn't feel so lucky. But I thanked him and returned to my work, unable to produce a smile. I believe I lost that capability when I lost Jacob.

The end result of the dish was actually pretty phenomenal. It was the perfect blend of sweet and spicy, but I could not stomach more than a few bites of taste testing. I couldn't seem to eat much in these days.

And as I worked with the food and with Bella, I began to feel a little better. The cooking process took my mind off my troubles for a little while and it was quite addiction, as you may imagine.

Bella was just about to call it quits when I blurted out, "Can we make more. Cooking seems to be pretty...therapeutic for me." I put on my best attempt at a shy smile.

After a long moment Bella finally agreed. "Make whatever you want, honey," she said, handing me a thick cookbook and I was soon then busy on working on several different dishes.

An hour later I took stock of the spread I was able to produce.

Mint-chocolate fudge was cooling in the fridge, lemon-vanilla cookies were in oven, and two very well stuffed Panini's were grilling up. My Mom was an easy person to cook with and she helped me a lot to make the food extra special.

It took the edge off; cooking. However it wasn't enough to heal me, just temporarily stitch up the wounds in my heart. It kept my hands busy and my mind on the recipe, giving me little time to wallow in the light of what has happened.

And I definitely was caught by Bella letting a few tears escape every now and then, but I wasn't as horrible as I was this morning.

"It's great, Mom," I said after everything was finished. Bella looked pretty pleased with herself and clapped a hand on my back.

"Thanks," she mumbled happily, packing the food up into a pail. "You without a doubt take after me being a great cook."

She then turned to me again, her almost black eyes squinting in question.

"You haven't seen Charlie in while, and he hasn't seen you," she proposed. "You should come along. Charlie and Sue have been wanting you to take a ride over for weeks."

I thought about that for a minute. Really, I could use some of my grandfather's calming therapy, I took relaxation from being around him. And the calm effects I got from cooking were already putting me into a better mood.

"Sure," I agreed.

We drove over in the Volvo to Charlie's, where he and Sue had been living together for four years. The house still looked generally the same from when I was little, only a few photos of vacation trips Sue and Charlie had taken mounted on the walls.

My grandfather was only in his mid-forties, so gray hair was very limited. And even though Su was still his age, she looked very young and vivacious. And like her daughter, she was very beautiful. She took me into her soft embrace and smiled warmly. "So glad you could come, Nessie," she said brightly.

Meanwhile, a father-daughter mini reunion was taking place. Bella and Charlie were the most relaxed, loving pair of family members I have ever seen. They have always come to each other about problems to where it made me wish I had the same relationship with _my_ father. But Edward was too conformist to understand me.

"Hey, Dad," Bella grinned and hugged her father. "It's been so long."

"It's nice to see you, Bells," he replied chipper. "It wouldn't seem so drastic if you came over more often. Jacob is always popping in, but not you."

The sudden slap of Jacob's name wore on my progress, but I tried as best I could not to fall back into a depressed stupor and hugged my grandfather.

"Aww, look at you, you're all grown up now," Charlie said, taking in my appearance.

"And very stunning, as always," he added.

I smiled, "Thanks, Gramp. But it's only been a month since you've seen me; I couldn't have grown much more."

"Wouldn't hold your breath," he teased. People were always making fun of my accelerated growth.

I nodded in conformity. "Alright, alright. But lets get down to brass tax, G-Pa" I joked sarcastically. "We brought the goods."

I opened the lunch bags and Charlie whistled in appreciation.

"You really outdid yourselves, huh?" Taking the tuber ware, he smelled the pleasant wafts of different foods.

"Better get cracking," he beamed at the spread. Sue slowly shook her head from side to side laughably.

We spent the whole afternoon, talking and gossiping about the latest topics over lunch. The food was great, even though I wasn't exactly hungry enough to eat more than a few bites of each.

And it did not take me long over the course of just a few hours, to see that Sue and Charlie still give each other the _look. _

You know the _look_. The one that's says "I love you and I never want to let you go." The kind that make you feel bad about your own personal life.

It reminded me Jacob.

Nonetheless, I felt better throughout the day. But that was because of my mother, Charlie, Sue and the cooking. I wasn't really a wreck now, just numb; unable to feel much.

We had them keep the leftovers and Bella and I left with happy faces. I really did have a good time.

"Do you want to go hunting before we get back?" Bella asked as we veered along the interstate. "Everyone else is going tomorrow together."

I did not like the idea of hunting with my whole family in the light of recent events, and so I quickly took the opportunity and agreed. She smiled and turned on the oldies station as we drove in silence.

Hunting with Bella was a quick, easy, painless affair. And I always got good tips from her, as well. My mother was very graceful in stance when she hunted. We both enjoyed mountain lion deer, and the occasional buffalo and we were able to drain several animals each before sundown.

I felt springier and more energized afterwards, but not happier. In fact, like a light switch, I was promptly back in my awful, melancholy state.

"I'm going to go to bed early tonight, Mom," I told her as I slammed the car door.

"Alright, I'll be at Carlisle's if you need anything."

I nodded and strode back to my house deeper into the woods.

I managed to open the front door, run up the stairs, and crawl under the covers before I cried again.

I had holding in so much today that I needed to let it out. And I did feel a little better afterwards, but that feeling was usually shot down by another round of tears.

All I saw was Jacob's face, his sweet, beautiful face. His handsome charm and happy laugh. His nonstop ability to make me laugh and light up my whole day. I missed him so much and wished everything could return as normal.

However, Jacob didn't come over again. He didn't call. He and I did not have any communication for days after that. It was killing me. But if he wanted to be near me, he'd come.

But he never did.

And on the fifth day, I stopped wishing.

I went about my day in a dull, numb manner. I slept late, sleeping very little but spending a lot of my time staring off into space in bed, simply thinking.

When I finally got out of bed I'd go down into the kitchen, take out a cookbook, and bake something till I had no more sunlight over my face through the kitchen window and nightfall had came.

I had to do something productive. I just had to. And cooking was my outlet. It kept me busy and my mind of the pain a little less. Like a medication you could say. Bella's medication was doing stupid, dangerous things when she was depressed; so cooking could be mine. Except, no one was around to eat any of the things I baked. I wasn't going to eat them, seeing how my hunger was very light and the thought of food nauseated me. I sent Bella with the food and she would give it to Seth or Jared or anyone of the wolves who happened to pass through looking for a bite to eat.

However, Jacob was not one of those wolves.

No one had seen him out of his house in the past week. From what I heard Seth and Edward talking about one evening in our living room was that Jake had been wallowing –much like I was- and that he refused to phase. And that made me feel worse.

I didn't want Jacob to suffer with me, or about me. I wanted him to be happy. Even if that meant I couldn't be around him without bursting into tears. I'd give him that, obviously. I loved him that much.

And on one particular evening, when my head hit the pillow after a long day of pies and tarts my eyes caught my calendar on the wall.

Tomorrow was the eighteenth of May. The day of the wedding. I had missed the bachelorette party a couple days ago. No one reminded me, and I probably would have rejected anyway. I didn't want to be forced into putting a smile on my face and pretending nothing was wrong. Also, Leah was going to be there. And I knew I would not survive a whole evening in the same room as her without crying.

I resented the fact I could not stop crying. I hated crying. To me, it pinned you as weak and sensitive and I did not like that kind of title. It made me feel young and bratty. I tried my best not to cry, but how well could I bridge the tears? The answer was very slim.

But, anyway, the wedding was tomorrow I would have to spend the whole day with my family, Leah, and Jacob no matter what.

And I would have to confront Jake tomorrow, as well. We were both in the wedding line up; he even had to escort me down the aisle during the ceremony. I was fretting over that. Maybe Alice changed the order and I could go down the aisle with Emmett, Seth or somebody. If she understood my pain, she would have.

My dreams that night were blurry, but awfully painful.

I got random blurts of pictures. Faces of people I loved; Bella, Jacob, Rosalie, Carlisle, Seth, Embry, etcetera. I saw all their smiling faces and I could feel their happiness radiating throughout my mind frame. It was a happy day, I think we were all hunting or something.

But all that was blown out of the window when suddenly their happy faces turned into grimaces of pain and the dream suddenly transformed into another nightmare.

Beyond them I saw what it was causing the pain. Other vampires had jumped into the picture. Ones that I knew, ones I that I had remembered from a distant memory, ones that seemed so far away. And I abruptly recalled who they were.

The Volturi.

And from what I saw, they were showing no mercy. The cruelest one, the young one, was having fun unleashing pain on my loved ones. Jane was her name. I watched in horror as she turned my Jacob's beautiful face into a mask of agony, his body crumpling onto the ground in pain. I could only watch this horrible event, no matter how much I tried to get my Jacob, I could not move.

I screamed out, and I clawed at the vision before me.

Meanwhile, other members of that clan ran through the frame and took over disposing of the bodies. I bellowed and screamed as loud as I could trying to get to them...but I just couldn't.

Immediately after, I heard the high, piercing laugh in my dream, the one that invaded all my nightmares. I was about to turn to finally see its owner, when suddenly the vision changed again.

Except it was not a vision anymore. It was my bedroom.

And it took my only second to realize I was dreaming anymore.

I was awake, breathing heavily with sweat dripping down my back.

It was morning. A wedding morning.

This was not the kind of dream you'd want right before something that was generally going to make you feel happy. Right now, I was hyperventilating.

And I didn't stop hyperventilating until I heard a soft knock at the door. I smelled Alice's light floral scent and I almost felt like taking the nightmare over her.

Today was going to be the longest day of the century.

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**Chaper's Song: "You, Me, and My Medication" -Boys Like Girls**

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AN: What do you guys think the dream means? Do you think Nessie is coping well with the loss of Jake in her life? Do you think they can ever be friends again?

Please Review and tell me any of your thoughts! Thanks, guys!


	9. Beggin'

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_**Chapter Nine: Beggin'**_

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**AN: Here it is; the make-up chapter!**

"Nessie!" Alice called. 'It's the big day!" She was oozing with happiness, I could tell.

I didn't lock the door, so naturally she came barging in, all smiles and laughs, and pulled me right out of bed.

"I'm so excited!" she gushed, tugging my arm all the way down the stairs. She didn't even give me a chance to say hello or ask her what was going on so far. "Everything is going to be so perfect! I can't wait! But I only have nine hours to make everything that perfect, ugh! I can't believe, Ness!"

My head was spinning with her details. "Alice!" I exclaimed.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"I've been awake for twenty-five seconds. Hold on."

She would have blushed apologetically if she was alive, but she quieted her excitability and waited for me to make the next move.

"Okay," I breathed after she quieted down. "First off, what's going on?"

She beamed. "We're moving all the "equipment" right now, then we get ready down at the boathouse and the wedding is at six this evening. We're all leaving in about twenty minutes to drive up to Seattle, alright? Eat some breakfast but don't take a shower, I'm supervising everything from now on," she explained with impressive expertise.

I paused for a moment to gather her hurried words, but that wasn't good enough for her

"Go!" she shouted, impatient but still grinning.

I wanted to laugh but did what she said, anyway.

I ran back up stairs and quickly changed into some comfy clothes, brushed my teeth, and pulled my hair back. When I got back down, Alice was practically bouncing off the walls with a bowl of cereal in her hands.

"We got to hurry!" she said, pushing the bowl of Rice Krispies in my hands.

I devoured the entire bowl within two minutes and chased it down with some OJ.

Alice then took me by the hand and basically dragged me all the way over to Carlisle's where the entire wedding migration was taking place. And I mean everyone.

Sue, Charlie, Leah (oh no), Sue's sister Gina and her young and pretty daughter who was our other bridesmaid, all the Cullens, and every member of the wolf pack possible were all carrying boxes and random objects and shoving them into several different cars.

That's what I call a hauling load.

My mom and dad were apart of that group, and so was all my other family members. I even saw about twenty people I had never met before but I assumed were going to be apart of my family by the end of the day. They all gave me appraising looks and I tried very hard not to blush.

I could see the back of Jacob as Alice pulled me towards the house, and I got really nervous. I guess my premeditation was not good enough for my nerves. He was handsome, even from behind, his tall, muscular frame standing out among the crowd.

But Sue and Alice's little squeal fest stole my attention from him luckily.

"Hey girls," Sue called from across the way. "What's the plan?"

Alice pulled me along until we were in the group. I kept my eyes on Jake's back. He kept it turned away from me, as well, talking to Sam.

"Just relax, Sue," Alice said happily. "It's your day. I've got it covered; you only have to be there."

Sue hugged her. "Oh, Alice. Thank you so much for doing this for me."

"No prob, Mrs. Swan." She let Sue enjoy the ring of her new name for a moment before getting serious.

"Alright, now we have to start loading all our hardware. And you cannot see anything until the wedding, so, Emily, Gina, and Kelly are going to take you to the lake house where you will get a massage and a manicure. And we'll be there within the next couple house, okay."

Sue sighed gleefully, "Yes."

"So get going," Alice grinned, then towing Sue further into the group of nearly fifty people in the wedding. There was lots of chatter and commotion, but I kept my senses hyperaware of Jacob. He didn't see me, which I took a blessing.

Alice tugged Sue all the way to Rosalie's red hot Convertible she sacrificed as the wedding vehicle. There were ribbons sticking out everywhere and elegant paint along the back window reading the traditional, "Just Married."

Emily was behind the wheel, beautiful as ever, meanwhile, a pretty teenage girl with delicate waves of black hair sat in the back next to the woman I counted as Sue's sister Gina. That was her daughter, Kelly, the other bridesmaid.

I smiled timidly at her. She was very pretty.

"Sue, its time for you to simply unwind. Now, waiting is the hardest part," she said, shutting the glossy, car door after Sue stepped in shotgun

Sue took a deep breath to settle her self. "Alright, Alice."

"I'll see you there," she bid, then Emily put it in drive and the scarlet agent disappeared down the leafy, shrouded driveway.

Alice looked utterly pleased with herself. "God, I love weddings."

I was then suddenly taken by the hand, where Alice ran me all the way towards the big house, away from the crowded lawn.

We entered the house and Alice let go of me.

"Don't move," she warned. "You'll probably get lost in the sea of perilous boxes," grinning, she gestured at the mountains of cardboard boxed and random wedding objects still lining the room. And like a flash of lightning she was gone up the stairs, squealing gleefully as she went.

No one was inside the house. It was eerily quiet. Everyone else was outside helping with the migration.

I was surprised I was as jittery as I was.

The wedding hype was getting to me and I was soon jumpy with anticipation. And I was only a bridesmaid; I could not imagine Sue right now.

I sighed comfortably. Jacob was still in my thoughts, still clouding my heart and making me only see blue. I would try the best I could to make this day enjoyable for myself and others. I wouldn't let anyone down today.

But it just hurt.

That I could neither help nor deny.

Jacob was what my mind obsessed over.

However, when I turned around, he was not only in my head...but standing right in the doorway...

My heart dropped to my stomach as I studied the handsome man before me, and tried very hard not to faint at his powerful effects on me. His face was laced with worry and care.

"Nessie?" he asked softly.

Oh god. All this time I spent away from him was making this little reunion that much more unbearable.

"Yes?" I replied quietly, keeping my eyes on his dark, lustrous ones.

He scrutinized my face, seeming to take in my façade. He especially would think of me as a ticking time bomb.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, his tall, muscular figure walking towards me. "Wait, never mind, that's a really dumb question," he laughed. I missed that laugh.

But I agreed to myself I would stay relatively content today and so I smiled back.

"Don't worry about it, Jake," I answered. "I'm fine, thank you."

His shoulders seemed to relax and sighed. "That's good, Ness. I'm glad to hear that."

I nodded but kept quiet. After a moment of awkward silence past, meanwhile we stared into each other's eyes ineptly, giving the other shy, small smiles.

"So...?"

"So."

"How bout those Dolphins?" he asked comically, and I snickered.

I smiled, "I missed you, Jake."

He gave me a crooked little grin, "I know you did." But when the humorous aura of the room had dissipated, his face became serious again.

"I missed you, too, Nessie honey," he whispered.

I looked down sheepishly.

I thought he's drop it and go back to helping the wedding or something, but he didn't. Instead, he looked intently into my eyes, his tall frame straightening up like he was ready for a big speech.

"Ness...I wanted to take about the other day," he finally said after a moment.

Of course he did.

But I wasn't prepared for it, though.

Except, I felt so damaged by the very memory of that day that I could not do anything but sulk and wish I had Jacob Black back.

So naturally, I hung my head and whispered somberly, "What's there to talk about?"

Jacob was smiling, however; I watched in surprise as he lifted his hand and placed it on my cheek. I looked up in question and he was looking at me with sad, amorous eyes and I was immediately confused, but was too intrigued to back away or warn him for Leah's sake.

Plus, he was so tall and big that I had to look completely upwards to study his face and that further stole my attention from locating an exit.

I could tell his emotions were mixed, his striking face telling me all his sentiments and even his pain. But there we stood, his warm, russet hand cupping my cheek and he then said roughly, "Nessie, I am _so_ sorry for what I may have done to you."

His voice made me melt.

My heart swelled. He shouldn't be apologizing. I should.

I looked into his deep, dark brown eyes and my pulse raced with desire. He suddenly stiffened, almost in synch with my arousal like he could sense it, but kept his face glued to mine.

"I never wished to hurt you, honey," he breathed. "I can only hope that after lots of begging and groveling, that you would please, please, please forgive me."

His words were so sincere, that I felt like I was going to cry with remorse.

"I cannot go another day without seeing your face. I cannot take another step without your forgiveness," he whispered. "I will go to hell and back just to have you back in my arms, Nessie." His words were having many, many affects on me, for sure that he didn't know about.

And how could I not forgive him, even though he didn't need to be forgiven? Moments passed and he simply stared into my eyes. It was very hard to think he loved Leah while looking at me this way, and I didn't care about it, actually. I was enjoying the electricity pulsing through me with Jake this close.

Jacob then leaned forward and pressed his warm lips to my forehead; I shuddered lightly at his touch and truly enjoyed the sensation of his lips on my skin.

He lingered there for a second to then back up to study my eyes again.

"I miss you too much to let whatever happened end us."

God, I missed him, too. And I knew at that moment, I could not lose him.

Not again.

Not ever.

I had to make another decision, one that would have to completely derail the one I made with Bella nearly a week ago. It was just the opposite, really.

"Jake," I exhaled. "You have nothing to apologize for." I took his hand from my cheek and held in my own, threading my fingers in his. I relished the heat, the roughness of his hand and sighed deeply and happily. The first time I had been truly happy in nearly a week. I felt no whole in my heart, instead there was radiating heat.

"I am the one to blame. I have acted so awful to you and I freaked out over nothing. _I_ begging for forgiveness wouldn't even suffice to what _I've_ done to you," I said. "Will you forgive _me_?"

I could sense Jake's protests, but something in my voice must have told him he should listen to me.

"I do," he finally said. "But you are too damn good of a person to do anything wrong Nessie..."

"And besides, you still haven't forgave me," he added ironically.

I almost felt like chuckling at his tone, but was too elated to feel anything but that it self. Jacob was always trying to lighten things up with humor.

"Of course, Jake," I said strongly. "Yes."

For a moment everything was still, and suddenly the air pressure shifted severely and before I knew it, Jake had taken me into his arms and spun me around joyfully.

I laughed, "What are you doing?" The room before me spun with impressive speed.

He chortled, too. "Thank you, Nessie."

He kept spinning me in his tight vise until I nearly felt sick.

Jake stopped the spinning but held me even closer in his arms, looking into my face, he panted with a huge grin on his face.

"Thank you," he repeated.

I grinned, "Don't mention it."

We smiled at each other without any awkwardness, it seemed. This was what I knew, _real_ best friends.

"God, Jake, you're gonna give me motion sickness," I laughed.

He snickered and stopped. I actually didn't want him to stop though...he could spin me all he wanted.

After what seemed like an eternity, I sighed contentedly and buried my face into his shoulder, his t-shirt smelled like him; a lovely, woodsy musk. I stayed that way until I could even feel tears brim up into my eyes. And not before long, my happy tears leaked onto Jake's shirt.

He suddenly backed up, looking ever-so caring. "What's wrong, Ness?"

I shook my head. "Nothing is _wrong_."

I grinned while the moisture wetted my face. "I'm just so happy I get to have you back!" I then took him to a bone-crushing hug. It was the best I could, but he only laughed.

"Is that the best you got?" he teased, then taking me into his arms and showing me how it's done. Spinning me around again, I had never felt more alive and well in my whole life.

And I had Jacob back.

I had him back!

I felt so joyous and we stayed like this silent until I heard a soft, clearing of a throat.

I released Jake and turned to see Alice with the dress bags in her hands, she was beaming at us, clearly happy to see our reunion.

"I am so sorry to break up this little powwow," he smiled. "But we have a wedding to be had."

I looked back at my handsome were-wolf and decided that I had to leave with Alice, instead of holding Jake until the end of time and never looking back.

I grinned at his beautiful face, "I'll see you at the wedding then."

He smirked at me playfully. "I'll be the one in black," he joked.

I laughed, "You and thirty other men."

"But only one of them can be your best friend," he said. "And that's who?"

"You," I smiled.

"Exactly."

I then turned away from the one person I never wanted to leave and stepped forward towards Alice. "Did you say something about a wedding to be had?"

The grin on my face with so sincere and true that I could not feel my cheeks and Alice could feel my joy, as well.

Then without further delay, with one last tender look at Jacob, Alice took my hand and led me through the pre-wedding events that waited us. And for the first time in a long time, I felt eager. Not because of the wedding...but because of the fact I'd be with Jacob that much more.

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_**Chaper's Song: "Beggin' " -Madcon** _

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**AN: So what do you think of the reunion? I love Jacob here and the things he says, as always. Review and tell me your thoughts.**

**Also, I just cannot find a good enough song to fit the chapter 11. It's the entire wedding chapter (its gonna be a long one so you better be hunkered down). **

**So, I need your help! Please leave a song in your review that you think is great for the wedding chapter. Don't worry; it's a happy, eventful chapter! And no worries about the artist, just the song's title has to match the mood of an incredible wedding. **

**Whoever comes up with the best song title gets the wedding chapter dedication. Set get pickin'!**

**Plus, I just got out of my surgery recovery today. My throats in hell, but I feel pretty fine bodily. I can't speak very well and it hurts like you would not believe. But this is good news for you. Since I have to rest for a couple weeks that means I have that much more time to write awesomeness for you! I'm pretty excited, aren't you?**

**Byes guys, I better get lots of reviews with this last scene. Lol **


	10. Drama Queen

_**l~l~l~l~l~l~l~l~l~l~l~l~l~l**_

_**Chapter Ten: Drama Queen**_

_**l~l~l~l~l~l~l~l~l~l~l~l~l~l**_

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_**AN: Yes, this is the longest chapter yet, I know. :) I hope that is a good thing and you are excited to read about all the wedding preparations and pre-events. Alright, we're getting closer and closer to the drastic story change and I cannot wait until we're there. Enjoy being one step closer. Just two chapters way, my friends...**_

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An hour later, eight different cars were stocked with the wedding goods. And by then, Alice had recruited Rose, Esme, and Bella and we all were leaving together in Bella's blue Ferrari.

All the women were chattering excitedly, besides Bella, who slipped her hand into mine and held me close in the back seat, meanwhile I thought of my Jacob.

And to be honest, today was the strangest yet I had experienced.

My mother kept giving me loving looks, more than normal, my aunts and uncles were more nervous then ever and they disregarded me. I had a funny feeling telling me that it was not the wedding.

What if something was going to happen?

I had gathered this information when I saw Emmett sad, Carlisle mad, and Jasper scared. That all in itself was a frightening imagine, being the opposite of who they were.

Esme, Rose, and Alice were trying their best to stay in the cheerful wedding mood, but they had many slips in the awkward silence. After Sue left and Alice spent nearly an hour with me, her mood quickly faltered and she got a fearful look upon her face.

I swear, you would not expect a wedding to be taking place with the spirits I was taking audience with in the car as we speeded towards Seattle. Esme and Rosalie seemed to look behind us every few minutes as inconspicuously as possible.

Something was up. And the fact that Bella was holding me so dangerously close and tight further proved my theory.

Two awfully long hours later, we arrived in Seattle.

I didn't have the ambition to marvel at the sights and buildings like I usually do. My family was terrified of something I didn't know...how do you react to that? We drove and drove until we hit the hillcrest of Seattle; the sun shined brighter here and noticed all the vampires were in very cover-some clothing to evade skin sparkling.

The club was right ahead of us, but to pass through you had to go under a large gray stone archway that swirled over the top of the entryway. "_The Seattle Hillcrest"_ was written in gold lettering across the top of the stone, welcoming us to the exclusive, beautiful vicinity.

We made our way along the long, paved driveway lined with blooming cherry trees, and ahead I saw that everyone else in the wedding had made it there.

All the women in the car seemed to relax at that, all the tension relieving itself from the space, and the women exited and joined the procession, not one of them said a single word to me all morning besides Alice.

And that was most likely because it was her job to remain calm and kind as the wedding planner.

I pushed this all out of my head as best I could, and studied the place that was even more beautiful than when I was here a few weeks ago.

The lake was shining off the sunny mid-afternoon sun, and the grassy fields almost reminding me of a golf course were a startling shade of healthy green, and the handsome birds were chirping happily in the trees, and some soaring through the sky. This place was mesmerizing.

And the most stunning piece of attraction here was the incredibly massive, marble boathouse before me nestled on the edge of the lake. I could imagine two of Carlisle's houses could fit into this pavilion spaciously.

I then walked up behind the vampires and werewolves and watched the scene, plopping on the grass by a tree stump and studied the mysterious commotions.

Jacob was very far away with the wolf pack, it looked like a mini meeting from where I stood. But I was pleasantly surprised to see Jake peer over his shoulder every few minutes to look for me. Yet I was too far away for him to find.

An hour later it was two 'o' clock and Alice, the perpetual, terrifying drama queen, came running down the lawn to where I sat.

"Nessie, I'm going to start the ladies right now," she said. "You are coming with me, right?"

I shrugged, "Sure. When do I go to get ready?"

"I'm going to do you last so you don't have a chance to get anything dirty," she told me, trying to sugar coat an insult as best she could. But I agreed and let her take me to where all the women were getting ready.

Alice led me up the turf, where everyone else was finishing up with the place. It looked spectacular. The inaugural ball for a presidential celebration could not add up to this.

The marble lake-mansion's exterior was sweetened by a hundred little tea lights that sparkled even in the sunlight, let alone the evening luminosity that would soon arrive. Peering ovr my shoulder, I watched as Jasper and Emmett hung little white lanterns on every cherry tree along the driveway. As we mounted the steps, I counted thirty trees in all.

We entered through the ballroom doors, and the place was even grander on the inside than out. Everything was decked out in pearly white and light lavender. The walls were already milky white, and now swirly, light purple embellishments were made along the walls.

There was about one hundred rounded tables station inside the ballroom, the windows letting in buttery sunlight that warmed the whole place up. This reception area was so extraordinarily beautiful, it was breathtaking.

The tables were dressed in a white linen skirt, crystal glasses and pearl dishware lining its perimeter. Each table had a colossal bouquet of lavenders, lilacs, and a few gardenias that perked the whole room up with its fragrance.

The bride and groom's table was a very long rectangular table, elevated on a little platform in front of all the guest's tables. It was very royal looking to me.

I then saw the wedding cake and my jaw almost dropped.

Four tears of white perfection were located at a huge dressing table near the bride and groom's table. Each tear was lined in little shiny, white pearls with elaborate purple frosting flowers popping out of every corner.

"Holy shiitake mushrooms, Alice," I whispered as we passed. "This place is incredible."

Alice grinned long and hard, studying the ballroom like it was a work of Picasso. "I know."

She pulled me farther through the cavernous ballroom to a pair of tall, white doors.

With one heavy pull she opened the huge doors to reveal the chapel.

It was nearly as big as the reception room. And it definitely did not look like it was before when we toured this place three weeks ago.

The pews had little satin pillows cushioning each seat, with nearly twenty five pews on each side. Bows and ribbons the size of mars embellished the end of each pew. The aisle alone was about sixty feet.

I wasn't looking forward to walking down that without falling.

And along the sides of the pews towards the ornate, stain glass windows were more colossal arrangements of lavenders in tall, pearly glass vases and more delicious scent filled the room.

The altar was just as nice, as well. It looked very traditional, though, with just a priest's table and two more bouquets stuffed with gardenias on either side of the post. It was beautifully simple.

I was in awe, meanwhile Alice pulled me all the way to rear of the chapel and towards the back door where a different exit was, and there was an ancient marble staircase to its left.

We climbed the stairs, meanwhile Alice had been gushing the whole time. I was unaware of her even speaking as we trailed through the building.

At the top of the stairs we were on the top of the balcony that over looked the entire chapel scene. Sue would most definitely be visible from here, and the marble walling would great against her skin tone.

And we walked several steps further, where there was another pair of vast doors, and with another pull, Alice revealed the top floor.

It was penthouse sized area where I found all the women, the room was scattered with clothes and bags for the wedding. It was a room probably meant for dressing and primping for occasions like this.

Sue, Kelly, and Leah were in robes, all of them must have just finished their massages. Emily and Gina sat with them. They weren't in the wedding, but they were welcome to stay with us. However, I tried to forget that Leah was there, I didn't even look in her direction.

And Bella, Rose, and Esme waiting with them, and when Alice and I entered they stopped their happy chatter and looked to Alice for direction.

"Alright ladies, let's get down to it." Alice clapped her hands in enjoyment. "I'll start with Kelly and Leah," she announced, walking over to where they sat.

Without word the two stood up and Alice led them into the backroom, most likely the beauty construction zone.

Leah had a blank face, and Kelly seemed overwhelmed.

I could barely look at Leah, though, the thought of her kissing Jake aggravated me and I couldn't help but slightly scowl when she wasn't looking at me.

Rose, Bella, and Esme followed Leah and Kelly into the back and Alice stayed here with me and addressed the other three.

"Gina and Emily? You two are set, right?" she asked.

"Oh, yes," they chorused. "There is still some more things to be done so we'll leave you be," Emily said, giving Sue a kiss and taking Gina with her down the staircase.

Gina looked besieged like her daughter, who was a spitting image of her, too. Both of them had feathery, black tresses, same cheek bones, and identical shaped and colored eyes. But Sue didn't look a lot like Gina or Kelly, however.

And when they left, that left Sue with us.

"Sue, you can just rest here until it's your turn, okay?" Alice asked, taking several leather makeup cases into her arms.

Sue looked rested enough, though. "Yes, I'm fine. I was just going to call Charlie for a little while if that's okay with you?"

Alice tried to be stern, but god knows her wedding hype was far from over.

"Alright, but you can't see him until the ceremony," she warned, trying to look threatening.

I snorted, sparing Sue and taking Alice away. "C'mon, Al. You got work to do."

I made sure she let Sue be before I led her through another pair of doors to reveal a gaping bathroom bigger than the one Alice had in her own bedroom, which was already one for the Guinness of book of world records.

Everything was very neat and clean in here-well, that was before Alice scattered makeup cases and dress bags all over the place and faced several, fretful-faced women before her.

"I'll start with Leah first so she can get back to helping Sue," she declared.

Leah remained quiet and I kept my head averted so I could not read her face. I couldn't take being so close to someone who did something so awful. But it wasn't her fault, I guess; she and Jake must be in love.

However, it still hurt. And I was not a masochist.

"Alright, it that little room is a shower, Leah," Alice directed her into the showering area.

"Be quick, okay?"

I heard a quick mutter of something like, "Goddamn drama queen..." as Leah left for the shower.

Alice returned in the main room, completely unaffected by Leah's scolds, where I sat with Bella.

No one said a word to me, especially the vampires. Kelly looked utterly terrified of us all, and Esme and Rose chatted with Alice while Leah was in the other room showering.

I didn't know how to react to the fact Bella was not letting me go, keeping some part of my body locked onto hers. I still could shake my high raging suspicions of why this was so.

Leah returned no less than ten minutes later her comfy robe again, just with wet hair replacing what it was before.

I watched from the sidelines with Bella, Rosalie, Esme, and Kelly as Alice dried and styled Leah's hair until it lay in an elegant soft curled pull back. It was perfect for her.

Esme then joined her for makeup. All they did was a light brushing, mascara, and light red lips for her, and then they stood Leah up. She looked impeccable.

Next Rose left the room and returned with Leah's dress. With just one minute to admire it on the hanger, I watched as they carefully put Leah into it, all the while I heard no complaint from the surly she-wolf.

In the end, she looked like an ice queen, no pun intended. The sparkling white dress fit her perfectly and hugged every curve just right. And it was a good contrast on her coppery skin, too.

"Alright, Leah!" Alice exclaimed, handing her a shoebox. "You can go with Sue now and make sure she doesn't see Charlie."

Leah didn't even acknowledge any of us or thanked Alice before she left; however just before she shut the door, her beautiful peaked from around the frame when no one except me was looking.

I lifted my head up just in time to see her give me an apologetic look. It was obvious what she apologizing for, yet I didn't know if it could change anything that went down between her and Jake. The chances were very slim.

However, it was mysterious she and I knew what was happening quite well; meanwhile Jake remained oblivious to it. But I didn't think very hard into it, myself.

Next was Kelly.

She was quiet, too, but expressed her enjoyment for the dress and thanked Alice for doing all of this. In the end, she was Leah's twin, shimmering in a white dress that fit her wonderfully. She left in no time, leaving just us vampire ladies.

Alice sighed, "Damn, I have to hurry. Being around humans really slows my speed."

She looked exhausted with just two girls down, but somehow managed to get Rose and Esme in their dresses.

They weren't bridesmaids; however, they both got a pair of cotton summer dresses and a simple hairdo. Esme didn't like lots of makeup, and Rosalie was already the reincarnation of true beauty, so they went much quicker than Leah or Kelly.

They both gave me a kiss before they left to help with the wedding some more.

Bella, who literally hadn't spoken a single word to me, but had kept her hands attached to my body all morning had now stood up and sat down in Alice's chair.

"Keep it simple, Alice," Bella said, patting her friend's hand and giving her full trust.

Within ten minutes, Bella was also a reincarnation of true beauty. She was in the same dress both Kelly and I would wear, and Bella's soft, slim body looked extra curved in the silky silhouette. Her hair was like Kelly and Leah's, flexible curls in a soft pull back.

When she was finished Bella walked over to me. "I love you, Renesmee," she breathed and I was suddenly worried.

Something was up. It reeked of whatever was worrying my family a couple weeks ago that they obviously learned to hide it a little better when I got more suspicious.

And Bella was the only one not strong enough to hide it from me. I tried not to freeze up with fear and kissed her cheek in return.

"Same here, Mom," I whispered. And then Bella disappeared through the door.

Alice looked at me next. "Ready, Ness?"

I sighed hollowly. "Ready as I'll ever be, right?"

I took a shower in the designated room; taking only a few seconds to enjoy the scent of my pomegranate body wash before shutting off the warm water and then joined Alice in the front room again.

I think I may have taken the longest, though. Alice had to dry my hair flat, and then re-curl it so it would lie in softer, billows of curls than my wilder, natural curls. She pulled it back with a feather light touch and I closed my eyes to enjoy her cold hands running through my hair.

She told me to keep my eyes closed for makeup, in which I felt her apply very little.

I was about to open my eyes when she stopped me. "No, no, no. I want you to have the full experience," she said, standing me up with me blind.

She told me to lift my arms and I felt the buttery dress material almost melt into my skin. It fit perfectly and I was very comfortable.

However, Alice told me open to my eyes but made me turn my back so I wouldn't see in the mirror. She then grabbed the last shoebox and revealed my scary stilettos. Very carefully, she put them onto my feet and I immediately felt like a death trap.

Alice took a step back and admired me, "Now. Turn."

I obeyed and turned around with topsy-turvy feet and saw someone I could not believe was me.

This gorgeous creature had skin of cream and roses, big dark eyelashes, and a light red lip. She looked like an angel with a white, frothy dress.

"This is amazing, Al," I said. "Thank you." I hugged her and tried not to squish my hair for the sake of evading her scold me for an hour about how to carry a hairdo.

"Your welcome, honey," she replied. "But I still have to do Sue and myself and I have a little more than an hour, so you can hang out in the waiting room, okay?"

"Just don't go anywhere alone," she added, her face abruptly serious.

She reminded me of Bella's mood and I took the chance to strike the iron while it was still hot.

"Alice?"

"Yes."

"Something's going to happen, isn't it?" I whispered.

Alice stopped dead in her tracks and nearly dropped her makeup bag. She was quiet for a long moment and then sighed.

"Nessie," she said. Alice then walked over and placed her cold hands on my cheeks. "I want you to know something, okay?"

I nodded.

"You are safe. You have nothing to worry about," she breathed. "Just know that we all love you."

And then like a flash of lightening, Alice ran from the room to get Sue, leaving me perplexed in the bathroom.

Finally! A straight answer!

I felt more afraid now, though. With Alice's confession I felt petrified, for I did not know what to expect now that I was on my toes. What was going to happen?

I walked on wobbly legs into the front room and stood by the window.

Cars and people were beginning to enter the driveway, my family welcoming the guests. Alice didn't want me going anywhere alone, so I located my mother down on the front lawn, hugging her handsome, tuxedoed father.

I left the beauty construction zone, walked down the staircase down into the chapel where the guests began to pour in. Several people turned almost as if I was bride and I blushed.

"No I'm not. Sorry," I said to a blonde woman who thought I was Sue. "I'm just a brides_maid_." She almost didn't seem convinced but I kept walking down the aisle until I hit the exit.

Out on the front lawn, I located Bella again and stood by her as she welcomed more guests, but Charlie left and I couldn't see him anywhere.

She took one look at me and gasped.

"You look absolutely beautiful, Nessie," she said, twirling me in a circle to get a full visual. She grinned at me and then took me by the hand and led me through the crowd. "Your father needs to see this."

We ended up near all the Cullens. My dad was one of the guys near the entrance and when he saw Bella and me he did a double take.

"Wow," Edward seemed perplexed. "You look ravishing, honey," he said to me and then kissed Bella full on the lips...that still nauseated me...

Jasper and Emmett stood on his flanks and gave me an appraising look.

Jazz took me in and seemed amazed. "It feels like it was just yesterday I was teaching you about the asshole confederation of the Revolutionary War," Jasper said sarcastically, giving me hug. I laughed. "And know you're a woman..."

Emmett crushed me next. "Same here. I taught you everything you need to know about a right hook."

I sniggered and hugged him back. "Well, it seems your patience wasn't put in the right place," I added, lifting my now almost healed hand that still had gauze wrapped around in, which Alice tried to perk up with a purple flowered corsage.

He looked a little sheepish.

The men excused themselves then to start the ushering, and Bella stayed by my side.

Together we welcomed the guests who came kept pouring into the chapel and before long, the whole place was full with guests, and my stomach tightened with nerves.

"Hopefully I don't face plant in these shoes," I whispered in Bella's ear. "Or throw up. That'd be worse."

She sniggered, "You sound like me, Ness."

I smiled in agreement and welcomed the last person on the list, which Jasper ushered to the back row.

At that moment, Alice came through the door on the staircase and flew to me and Bella.

"She's ready," she squealed. "So, so beautiful, I'm telling you, I'm a wedding god!"

I rolled my eyes and saw my mother do the same. "Alright, I tell Carlisle," Bella said, and left me with Alice to find him.

"Nessie, go upstairs," she told me. "Jacob is waiting for you."

My stomach did a flip and I grinned.

"Okay," was all I managed before I scrambled up the stairs.

Sure enough, as I whipped into the room, my Jacob was waiting for me. He had his back to me, though, and was dashing in a black tux, a shiny red tie peaking through his jacket. Was there ever going to be a time when seeing him was not going to stop my heart?

I felt content when my own answer was: who cares?

My heart swelled and I walked towards him.

"Jake?" I addressed.

He turned and his eyes widened.

"Oh, my god, Nessie. You look incredible," he said, taking in my full appearance. He looked utterly overwhelmed. "You're so beautiful, honey."

He then cocked an eyebrow at his own words. "Well, when aren't you beautiful? That's the question."

I blushed like beet and stood by him.

"So are you," I replied. "Very handsome, Mr. Black."

He gave a crooked smirk, but then the rest of the wedding party came in through the door. Leah, Kelly, Bella, Edward, Seth, and Emmett entered with Alice towing the line.

"Everyone, get in your position," she squealed, taking Kelly and Seth and directed them to the back of the space. "You two are last," she said, straightening their posture, picking at Kelly's hir and guiding Seth's shoulders back.

Next was me and Emmett, she put us two in front of Kelly and Seth and Emmett took my arm in his in a very traditional style as Alice directed him.

In front of us were Edward and Bella, they both looking like a modern Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan, meanwhile in the very front Jacob took Leah's arm.

Alice made the decision to not pair me and Jake up when we weren't speaking to each other, which finally lifted this morning, so of course she had no time to change it back again.

I tried hard not to let that bother me, but I couldn't help it. Seeing Leah and Jake together made my heart ache. Neither could they help it if they wanted to. Jacob was Charlie's best man and Leah was Sue's maid of honor.

But Alice then exited through the backroom where I could hear her and Sue's voices. _We_ couldn't even see the bride until her descent.

Alice then ran from the bathroom to the door and said, "Jacob, Leah, when you hear the music, start descending. Slowly and soulfully, though." She bobbed her head with her words.

Leah snorted but Jake elbowed her. I almost laughed but decided now wasn't the best time.

Alice then disappeared from view and we waited a moment in silence until I could just hear the starting of a piano. Rosalie was not nearly as great as Edward; she sounded a lot like me on the piano; a beginner. Rosalie and I was a different caliber musician in comparison to my father. I bet he was secretly jotting down all the flaws she was making, because that's just the kind of guy Edward is.

And I remembered with a jolt that Edward and I were performing t the reception...just one, short, important hour away. Suddenly, everything looked very dark and doubtful. I would probably find someway to embarrass my family or even myself enough to make us move to the Amazons.

The staircase doors then opened and Leah and Jacob slowly began their descent, but not before Jake had time to turn his head and give me a wink and a smile.

That gave me more hope.

In fact, it warmed my whole heart.

I suddenly had very little to fear.

I watched as Edward and Bella followed, gracefully.

But Emmett was my partner.

I took the stairs cautiously and Emmett held me secure. "Don't worry, I won't let you fall," he whispered. I felt better about that and let Emmett lead me down the aisle.

I could feel everyone's eyes on my face and my cheeks flamed. Several people seemed to lose their ability to stop their eyes from blinking. It was Alice's fault everyone's eyes were on fire.

I made it to the end of the aisle, where Emmett let me go and walked over to stand behind Edward on the groom's side.

With wobbly feet I slowly made my way up the platform behind Bella. She gave me a reassuring look and patted my corsage'd, broken hand.

Out into the large crowd I saw Embry give me a wink, and Jared rolled his eyes. Paul and Rachel stood next to them, in which she gave me a loving, warm smile. I really missed Rachel. Billy was in his wheelchair at the end of the pew; he gave me one of his timeless, wise old smiles that unleashed years of unsurpassed knowledge.

Then Kelly and Seth followed Emmett and I, and then we heard the bride's ballad start up.

The whole room seemed to brim with excitement. Everyone stood up and turned around to see Sue then enter, in a gown of clouds and suns and everyone's jaw seemed to drop, including mine. She was amazing.

Charlie was smiling like an idiot as Sue neared the altar table in her shining wedding dress of literal beauty. It was like angel's gown.

It was strapless, with a sequenced bodice, and at the hipline it jetted out in a puffy, foamy skirt. But all the while, it glistened like gems in the lighting, like it was frosted. Everyone in the chapel was bewildered.

And behind Charlie, I could see my Jacob, whose eyes saw only my face, it seemed. The event of a century was taking place and Jacob Black was staring at _me_.

My head swam with his face as I caught his gaze and he smirked happily, causing my heart to race.

We stared at each other until the priest's loud, booming voice broke our gazes and we both in unison turned our attention to the ceremony.

With a fluttering heart, it all had passed in a blur; all the while I couldn't help but imagine that maybe one day that might be me in Sue's place as the bride...with Jacob as my groom. It was just a little daydream, but it was enough to make me grin like a goofy idiot until my face mimicked Charlie's.

The ceremony had passed in a haze; and all I cared about was getting back to my Jacob as soon as possible...but hey, how could you blame me?

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_**Chaper's Song: "Drama Queen" -Switches (targetted at Alice, of course)**_

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**AN: I know this was not a very exciting chapter, perhaps, but I hope you are excited to be that much closer to the real start of the action which is coming soon. Just be patient, my loves.**

**But, please, REVIEW, and tell me your thoughts...! Don't be shy, I love all input!**


	11. Let's Dance

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_**Chapter Eleven: Let's Dance**_

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**AN: Alright, well, the wedding scene I have in store for you was sooo long for just one chapter that I had to split it into two, back tracking us just one chapter. However, I'm still have a little more to write/edit for the second addition to this chapter, so I'm giving you this one right now and giving you the other later on today when I finish with it, seeing how its pretty ridiculous to make you wait till Tuesday for the same scene. :)**

**However, as usual, read, enjoy, and review!**

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In a marble palace big enough to practically fit the Parthenon, the reception flowed into an extravagant event. People were buzzing with excitement and were awestruck by the beauty of the ballroom.

As soon as everyone was seated in their tables, people began waiting for the next motion, which was actually the speeches of Leah and Jacob. I would take any chance I could to hear Jake's deep, husky voice talk about...well, anything, actually.

I, too, was seated at the bride and grooms' table. Charlie and Sue sat in the middle, and the bridesmaids and groomsmen were positioned on their flanks.

I was relived when Bella separated me from Leah. I don't think that was an atmosphere I was willing to stand. Meanwhile, Kelly sat on my left, scared as ever. She was so kind and pretty that I couldn't help but be extra nice to her.

I leaned in and placed my hand on her shoulder and gave her an encouraging squeeze. She turned to me and smiled sheepishly.

"You're gonna be okay, don't worry," I chuckled.

Kelly took a deep breath, "I know. It's just, this is my first wedding that I've ever been to." She was nervous, but also had a slight, nervous blush framing her cheeks. "And this one boy keeps staring at me."

"Which one?" I asked, looking out into the crowd.

"One of the tall, native ones. He's sitting next to the man whose wife has the scar on her face," she explained, jerking her head out in their direction. Her blush got pinker.

I looked out into the sea of people and located Sam and Emily. Embry was sitting next to him.

I smiled. "That's just Embry Call. He's really nice and a good friend of mine," I said. "Maybe you should go over there and talk to him," I suggested.

Kelly's eyes widened. "Are you kidding me? And embarrass myself? No thanks." Her expression told me she was aghast with the idea. "Plus, I'm not his type."

I chortled at her uncertainties, "Don't doubt yourself, Kelly. You're very beautiful and sweet. Of course, you're his type."

She smiled in appreciation, "Thanks, Renesmee."

I shook my head and extended my hand. "Call me Nessie," I told her. She smiled warmly and took the offer.

"Nessie, it is then."

It was nice to find a friend even in hectic day as this one...

But just then, Leah stood up in her dress of buttery crystals and insipidly tapped her silverware against her glass.

"Everyone," she announced. "I would like to share a few words." Leah waited until the ballroom was silent, and a hundred people stared at her in question. She placed a hand on her mother's shoulder and began her speech.

Leah spoke of growing up with Sue and her late father Harry. Of how much they loved each other and were meant to be. Of how great it was to be born and raised into a loving family.

When she spoke of when her father died, she said that no one thought any of the Clearwater's would recover. However, somewhere within the mourning, her mother found Charlie, a longtime family friend. Leah spoke highly of Charlie, saying he was good man for her mom and a great person in general. It was nice to hear Leah be kind.

Leah then finished with how much she loves her mother and wishes her only the best.

In the end, Sue had tears trailing down her cheeks. I was amazed, too.

Not only did that speech show how much of a heart Leah had, but that was longest I had ever heard Leah speak. She had a very melodic voice.

That must be the side Jacob fell in love with.

But Leah then took her seat and quickly knocked back a glass of champagne desperately and I had to hold back a laugh.

We all watched as Jacob rose from his chair and my senses turned only his handsome figure.

Jacob's story was much funnier.

He had tales of growing up in La Push with Charlie almost like a second dad. Fishing trips, hunting sprees, birthdays and holidays were spent with Charlie. He was almost like a second father to him. One story of how Charlie and Billy almost burned the house down with a toaster oven when Jake was nine was especially funny.

Jacob re-created the scene:

He imitated Billy's deep, rumbling voice. "For the love of god, man, you're on fire!"

Charlie's tone was lighter and more sarcastic. "Billy, now I'd know if I was on fire." Looks down at smoking arm.

"Oh my god, Billy, I'm on fire!"

"I know!"

In the end, everyone was smiling at Jake's jokes and humorous stories, setting a nice mood for the reception to follow.

Charlie and Sue cut the cake next, Sue shoving it into Charlie's face humorously. However, Charlie didn't have the nerve to squash something in his newlywed's face. Alice would have his ass in a second.

The bride and groom's dance followed and we all watched as they awkwardly swayed on the dance floor. Then Alice cued the rest of the wedding party to join and I felt Emmett's burly arm catch mine.

"May I have this dance?" he asked with comic obsequious, even going as far as bowing.

I laughed and curtsied inelegantly. "You may," I grinned.

Dancing with Emmett was not exactly dancing. It was more like watching a grizzly bear stand on its hind legs while it mauls an innocent bystander.

I'm just kidding. Emmett was a very good dancer for his size and we comfortably swirled on the dance floor. I didn't even break an ankle, much to everyone's surprise.

But across the way, Bella and Edward romantically held each other, in a very non-festive dancing way. They have always had the ability to pretend like no one was there and go off in their own little zone. Bella would have blocked everyone's thoughts from entering Edward's head, making a quiet, romantic setting for the both of them.

And I wish Kelly was as calm. She and Seth ineptly rocked back and forth on the sidelines while Kelly kept looking over her shoulder at Embry. My eyes followed hers, and sure enough, Embry's attention was on her and her alone.

I felt happy for her.

But what soon melted by happiness was the sight of Leah and Jacob dancing together. I was a big enough person to not let it get in the way of mine and Jacob's best friend. As I said before, I would rather have Jake in my life as something less of what I want, than not have him at all.

And they were friends enough to dance contentedly together, I knew that. They had been there for each other through a lot and had quite a bit in common.

I couldn't deny it. Obviously, they were both tall, strong, tawny skinned, dark eyes, and they were werewolves for crying out loud!

They were like Paul Newman and Robert Redford from Butch Cassidy, just without the wanted, bank-robbing, outlaws bit.

I almost laughed at my analogy but it seemed like good pairing to me.

But I pushed it out of my mind and before long the song was over. However, my job was not. As a bridesmaid, I had to accept dances with everyone all night long.

I was dreading that.

Random men came and asked me to dance and it was my job to agree. I didn't want to burden them with my clumsiness, but I somehow managed to not wound anyone.

However, I knew most of them.

Carlisle and Jasper came over and danced with me happily, getting me into a pleasant mood to set the evening. Most of the guests ate for a portion of the reception, but I wasn't hungry.

And about an hour into the reception, Sam, who I always looked at as the fatherly-alpha against Jake's brotherly-alpha figure came over and swayed with me for a slow number. We conversed about trivial matters like sports and news. It was a little uncomfortable for me and Sam to be close to each other, I never knew why. Maybe it was the hesitant, cautious alpha male still in him that thought everyone as a threat.

However, when the conversation passed over the subject of Emily, he became a happy little camper and cheered up.

The night passed in a similar tone.

I danced and watched out for Jacob.

I didn't see him much, just a few glimpses every now and then, seemingly busy, talking with Sam or Bella or Seth. All my family members were rushing around with nervous faces, looking out windows like they were expecting something. I tried to not let that worry me and I kept myself thinking about Jake to evade suspicions.

Honestly, I was waiting for him to ask me to dance. That I hoped for dearly.

But he always looked preoccupied as the evening passed.

I danced with Seth, Jared, Brady, Collin, Quil and even several women, which included my mother, Rosalie, Alice, Esme, and even Claire. She had come with Quil, so no one had to pretend there was no such thing as vampires and werewolves like we did when her mother was around.

Claire was about eleven now, and she had grown up fast. And like most native La Push women, she grew up to be beautiful. She had wavy, black tresses that she always pulled into a braid that fell down her back. Her eyes were kind and her frame was feminine.

For an eleven year old, she also had pretty sizably breasts, too. But she was embarrassed by that and wore cover-some clothing most of the time and seemed to always have something to go red in the face about.

The whole time she blushed like a beet whenever I mentioned Quil's name.

Oh god, the hormones were kicking in...

But Quil was worried about her, as always. He thought she didn't get out much and she didn't have a lot of fun like she should. And so, to fix that problem, I threw Claire around on the dance floor and twirled her to the fast, upbeat music.

She laughed at the embarrassment and public attention and had her pulse racing in no time.

It actually got Quil to calm down, enough to make him come over ask Claire to dance with him.

Like Sam with Emily, his face seemed to glow whenever Claire was around.

I never got why Quil was so attached to her, actually...Maybe he was a distant family friend or member? I didn't know.

When Claire finally left to dance with Quil, I waited for my next partner to arrive.

But everyone seemed preoccupied with eating, drinking, or dancing themselves and so I took the moment to grab a drink from the bar.

I took the colorful, fizzy drink and drank it thirstily.

There was an off taste to it that made my tongue feel a little numb, but I didn't look too much into it. I was parched.

By the time I finished my second Shirley Temple, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Watch out, those things are deadly," Embry warned.

I looked at the drink doubtfully. "Yes, because cherry syrup and ginger ale is so terribly dangerous. Everyone knows that its rule seven in Survival 101," I teased. "Ye heed to those who sip from the drink of high fructose corn syrup, sugary, carbonated detriment."

He laughed heartily and pulled a chair up next to me at the counter. "They may as well put a warning on the side saying, '_Do not drink: May cause low self-esteem, tooth loss, or heart failure. Here's your casket brochure. Enjoy' _and get it over with, huh?" I added.

Embry shook his head at me with a grin on his face. "You are something else, Renesmee Cullen."

We talked for a few minutes, meanwhile he downed a coke and when he was done he stood up again, holding out his hand.

"Care to dance, smarty-pants?"

I pretended to think about, to which he chuckled.

"Sure," slamming my glass down on the counter comically, I took Embry's hand and he led me out to the dance floor.

It was a slow, romantic song as we casually swayed through the crowd. It was really hot, of course, and when you add a toasty 108.9 degree werewolf, you get pretty sweaty. My dress stuck to my skin and I could be the makeup Alice applied melt.

About halfway through the song, Embry sighed happily.

"Well, its official," he announced.

I snorted, "What's official?

"I finally did it," he said.

I looked up at his pensive face; he was staring at something beyond me.

"What you talking bout, Willis?" I had to laugh at my own impersonation before he answered.

"I imprinted."

He may as well have been speaking gibberish.

"Is that a disease?" I joked.

"Nope," he popped the p. "Definitely not," he said dreamily. "It's a good thing, trust me."

I cocked my head, "Well, what is it then?"

Embry seemed a little surprised. "Jacob never mentioned it to you?"

I shook my head.

"Hmm," Embry looked a bit stunned. "You never wondered how Sam met Emily, or Jared met Kim, or even Quil and Claire?" His words weren't making much sense, but yes I had always wondered.

"Yes, but I never _knew_," I replied.

Embry took a moment to arrange his words.

"There's a myth in werewolf legends that the strongest wolves are created from imprintment," he said. "It changes your whole world, Ness. Its more than love at first sight...its more like soul mates at first sight, I guess. Nothing else in the world matter to you except for your imprint,"

He let that sink in.

I was still a little confused. "But, how does that happen?"

Embry looked out beyond me, thinking deeply and pensively for an adequate answer.

"When a wolf sees his imprint for the first time, everything that every matters to him suddenly vanishes: Who he is...What he wants...And then you are left with just one thing. Her. She becomes your whole life, and you'd do anything for her. Be whatever she needed you to be. Like Quil and Claire, for example. Quil has been Claire's continuous babysitter since she was born, because she is the only thing that matters to him. He'd go to the moon and back for her."

He looked questioningly into my eyes.

"Are you seeing my point?"

It was a lot to process, but yes I was.

So Quil and Claire were soul mates? _Claire_, little Claire? It seemed impossible, but I had never heard Embry so passionate about something, so it must be true.

"Yes," I said. "It's just pretty overwhelming. But how can Quil love Claire. Isn't that just a little...sick?"

Embry's face abruptly became alarmed. "No, no. It's not like that, at all. Quil's feeling for Claire as simply platonic at this stage. But when she grows up, they'll fall in love and be like a Sam and Emily."

It was good to hear my friend Quil wasn't harboring any creeper points. "Well, doesn't the inprintee girl have a choice to who she wants to fall in love with?"

The song ended, but I had no desire to stop my conversation with Embry.

"Of, course," he replied. "But, Ness, in the end, they'd be so perfectly made for each other that there'd be no one else to prefer. They would only have eyes for each other, you see: _Soul mates_."

I mulled all that over. Imprinting was very interesting, and also downright romantic. It was enlivening to hear there was a possibility to find love in the strangest of places.

"It's just that it must be exciting and terrifying at the same time to have your whole world turned upside down just like that," I burbled.

Embry nodded. "Yeah, you're telling me. I'm the one whose life just changed this morning," He definitely didn't seem bitter about it, though. Just the opposite. I have never seen Embry so entranced.

So it was love.

"Who is it, anyway?"

Embry's frame seemed to weaken like Jell-O and sighed dreamily, "Kelly Horowitz."

Of course! Why hadn't I thought of that before! That's why he was gawking at her earlier.

Man, isn't she in line for a huge surprise...

"That's really awesome, Embry," I said, hugging him. "I'm glad all the cards are in your hand."

Seriously, Embry Call has been alone for too long.

Nonetheless, Kelly Call...has a nice ring to it, right?

"Well, I'm gonna go find her, alright?" he asked after two songs were finished. He smiled and kissed my cheek before he left, leaving me standing in the middle of the dance floor.

I couldn't express my joy for Embry and Kelly. He was a great guy and great friend. That's obviously code for 'great lover' as well. And she was as beautiful as the moon, and kind like an angel.

I watched the crowded ballroom before me.

Everyone was laughing, conversing, dancing or drinking and I was happy for Alice that the whole event turned as great as it had.

Studying the party, I had finally registered how tired I was.

Dancing was a vigorous activity that got me exhausted, even though I loved it so much. Well, when I wasn't tripping over things and breaking other people's bones due to my klutziness.

A few minutes later, I was about to call it quits and find Sue and Charlie to congratulate but a voice interrupted me.

"Still have time for lil' ole me?" A husky tone asked from behind me.

I whipped around and there he was...

My handsome wolf who I had been waiting for all this time. Waiting to see his face, and be in his comforting presence.

My world got that much brighter.

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_**Chaper's Song: "Let's Dance" -Hawk Nelson**_

**Also: _"Party All The Time" -Black Eyed Peas_**

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**AN: I will get you the next chapter ASAP! It will be later on today, after I get out of work. It will be a bit longer and will then be followed by the "The Twist" chapter, as I like to call it.**

**:) Hang in there!**

**Oh, and please, if you've been reading SR but not reviewing, now's a good time to start! I love all input and your thoughts! I'll even put your review into a translator if you speak a different language! lol jk**

**See you soon!**


	12. The Spotlight Is On

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_**Chapter Twelve: The Spotlight Is On**_

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**_AN: Alright, here's the other half. This one is much longer but definitely eventful. *hint hint* I hope you enjoy it! Pay close attention, though, the ending is a twist...everything said means something later on..._**

**_Oh, and this chapter is dedicated the very, very lovely friend of mine, Veraleeon. She gave me the song "A Drop in The Ocean" by Ron Pope and it was perfect for this chapter when Nessie performs! _**

_**Read, Review, and Enjoy!**_

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"Of course, Jacob," I replied, beaming.

Jacob grinned at me and took me into his arms. "Sorry, I'm late, honey," he said as he did so.

I shrugged my shoulders, pretending that it didn't bother me. "Its fine," I dismissed. "You're here now, though." I would take that a million times over not having him at all...

He nodded, "And you have as many dances as you want with me. I'm your prisoner."

I laughed. "If only I was cruel enough to take you prisoner, you'd never have to leave my side," I imitated an evil-villain voice.

"Fine by me," he chuckled.

I think I may have blushed his words.

The music finally cued on and Jacob began swaying me to the soft beat.

I had been waiting for him all night, and so when I finally got to hold him, I pressed myself flush to him, wrapped my arms around his neck and laid my head on his warm chest.

Jake smelled of pine and oak, causing me to sigh in relaxation with his startling, comforting body heat. He was a safe haven from the convoluted day we all had just been put through.

It was a good thing Jacob was holding me, though, or I'd fall over, weak in the knees.

"So tell me," he proposed. Since he was so tall I had to look almost completely upward to see his gorgeous face. "Do I beat out the other suckers who asked you to dance?"

I grinned. "Are you doubting your mad skills?"

He laughed, "Absolutely not. I'm just saying; you had a lot of guys come up to you tonight." If he wasn't in love with Leah, I thought he'd be jealous of them. "Where do I fall?"

I sighed contently and laid my head back on his chest. There was only one answer and one answer only to that question. It was obvious, but it was so, subsequently true. "You'll always be my number one, Jake."

He held me closer, his tone going from comedic to affectionate, "Same here, Ness. Same here."

We rocked back and forth on the dance floor for what seemed like an eternity. But I still would have asked for more if he left to do something else. He said I could have as many dances as I wanted, but that meant I had to keep him in my arms all night and I'm sure he had other things to attend to besides me.

However, Jacob enthusiastically danced with me for a long time, never stopping.

Until, we heard an uptight sound resembling to a clearing of the throat and we both looked over to see who it was.

Edward was standing next to us, looking at us in question.

"Hello, Renesmee." He said to me. "Hello, Jacob." Jake's head jerked up in salutation. Since I had broken my hand, they still were rough with each other.

"Hey, dad. How's the party holding up?"

Edward looked a little inflicted by my question, to which he nearly stuttered, "It's going rather fine. Alice is very pleased with herself."

"I can imagine."

"But, we go on as the last event of the evening, Nessie. So we have to get going soon."

I nearly forgot. Edward and I were performing shortly, all this time waiting for Jacob it never crossed my mind that I was going to be singing in front of everyone.

Edward then turned to Jake.

"Jacob?" he asked. "Do you mind if I have a dance with my daughter?"

If Edward and Jacob hadn't been as good as friends as they have been these past several years, Jake would have probably said no.

But they respected each other enough to be civil, to where Jake would have agreed.

"Do I have to let her go?" That question had affects on me like you wouldn't believe, and Jacob looked hesitant to even slacken his hold on me, and I was fine with that to be honest.

Edward's face went from kind to cold. "Jacob, I would like to spend some time with _my_ daughter before the wedding is over." However, something about his voice and the way Jake reacted told me they were in on something, causing me to freeze into place.

Jacob finally sighed, almost in defeat, "Sure, Edward."

Jacob broke apart from me and I had the urge to protest or maybe even whine.

I never resented Edward for always trying to push Jake away; it was his natural, paternal instincts. But my dad had the worst timing on this planet, always interrupting me and Jake. It was like clockwork.

But before Jake left, he leaned in and kissed my forehead. Just that small favor alone had his scent fill my nostrils, making my head swim with a dull memory of my dreams and fantasies. His _proximity_ made my heart race.

I could sense Edward stiffen at my side. Again, paternal instincts.

"Bye, Nessie," my wolf said tenderly before disappearing into the sea of partiers.

I sighed sadly, but was overall pretty please to have time to spend with my father. Unfortunately, as much as I loved Edward, I never got to see or talk to him much. He and Bella usually spent nights over at Carlisle's, hunting, or staying out in the woods. During the day I saw him and we got along rather well, but there wasn't an exact _bonding_ quality that Bella and I had.

And he and I usually disagreed about the subject of Jacob.

We both knew I was safe and in good hands when I was with Jake, but the years before my birth they had spent in hated, a little infliction several years later was normal. Plus, there was always a possibility he could hurt me accidentally and I would walk around looking like Emily. I heavily doubted that, but for Edward, it was front burner.

"Are you feeling alright, sweetie?" Edward asked a couple minutes later into the dance. He pressed the back of his hand to my forehead, making me shiver to his freezing touch.

"I'm fine," I replied. "Just tired, that's all."

Edward nodded sympathetically, "You've had a long day, that's for sure." I laid my head on his cool chest. "I'll get a drink when this song is over."

"Good idea." There was an unexplainable humor in his tone that mystified me.

And when the song was over we walked, hand in hand over to the bar and I opted for another one of the Shirley Temples.

"I don't know why these have been tasting so off today," I said to Edward as I finished the bottom of the glass, my tongue feeling number than before.

"Hmm," he shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe they used a different type of grenadine," he suggested innocently.

He was acting rather curious, and almost forced me drink another one, saying something about dehydration, but it could see through his facade. I drank another one with a cocked eyebrow while he pretended to look over at the wall.

Next, we grabbed Bella, and with me sandwiched between the two of them, went over to Charlie and Sue finally. I congratulated them earnestly, giving them both huge kisses on their cheeks, marking them with a big red lip mark.

"I love you, Grandpa," I whispered as I held him dearly. "I'm so happy for you."

"I love you, too, darling," he murmured, giving me one last squeeze.

I hugged Sue, minding her dress and colossal hairdo. "You make a beautiful bride, Sue," I said.

"Thanks, Nessie."

We left the happy newlyweds to themselves and we simply mingled with some of guests. Bella and Edward both kept an arm around me the whole time, in an almost protective stance, again like they were expecting something.

But not long after that, Alice then came bouncing over on a cloud, her cheeks almost seeming to dimple with delight.

She has done an incredible job today, which did not go unaccredited. For the few times I had seen Alice around the ballroom, she had been surrounded by women, who gushed about their love of the design.

She buzzed with excitement. "Are you two ready for the big event?"

Edward looked standard, while I soon began borderline hyperventilating. Bella held my hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

"No," I yelped.

All three of them chuckled. Edward put an arm around me and kissed my hair. "You're going to be great. I promise."

I smiled as best I could. "You shouldn't make promised you can't keep, Dad."

He snorted confidently, "Trust me, I can keep this one."

I almost felt better, if I wasn't as insecure as I was.

Alice then squealed with exuberance, "Yay!" She then tugged my hand and pulled me through the crowd, my father trailing behind us.

There was a huge stage at the right of the ballroom by a cavernous stairwell that led to band room. A piano I didn't see at the beginning of the reception stood with dark, classic elegance, meanwhile a microphone was attached to the top of the piano for me next to Edward's seat. At least I would be sitting down when I fainted.

I mounted the steps and thanked god not very many people had noticed yet. Sitting down on the piano seat where Edward joined me, I felt a little more recovered.

However, that all went out the window when suddenly the lights in the ballroom dimmed and for a split second I saw all one hundred faces whip around and look at me on the stage before a blindingly bright spotlight flashed.

I couldn't see anything but the beam of light in my face. I didn't know if Jake was looking. Most likely...

Luckily, before I could hurl, Alice leapt onto the stage, mike in hand and introduced the party to us.

"Alright, everyone," she declared. "We have a very special treat for this evening. Now, here in the Cullen clan we have many talented family members. And one example of that, is the styling of Edward and Renesmee Cullen, the musicians." I couldn't see her face, just hear her voice.

Edward sat beside me and put an encouraging hand on my shoulder. "_Shhh_," he whispered. "It's all going to go well."

My stomach was churning with fear. What if I sucked?

"So here I give you," Alice announced. "Edward and Renesmee!"

The ballroom erupted into a loud roar of applause. My gut almost fell down to floor. That was a lot of freaking people!

The room went silent then, the spotlight blinding me so I could see nothing but the intense brightness. But I suddenly heard the piano start up in a dramatic, lovely opening.

My heart raced but I recognized the song, my words, and my cues like it was yesterday. We had practiced this song so often that I could do it in my sleep. I just didn't know if I could open my mouth without barf protruding from it.

My cue was coming! My legs shaked and I took a deep breath. Leaning towards the piano, the microphone seemed intimidating.

The seconds rolled by with Edward's superior piano playing filling the silent room of an expectant audience.

_One, two, three, four, _Here it goes:

I then began to sing.

"_A_ _drop in the ocean. A change in the weather_._ I was praying that you and me might end up together."_

I almost cried out with relief. My voice hasn't left me after all. It was surprisingly strong, and my singing was more than I hoped for it to be. I continued.

_"It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert. But I'm holding you closer than most, because you are my heaven." _I liked how it was going so far, and then Edward's playing turned from soft and melodic and morphed into loud and lively like rehearsed.

_"I don't wanna waste the weekend, if you don't love me. Pretend for a few more hours, then its time to go."_

A smiled almost crept onto my face, but I kept my composure. I couldn't see the audience, just Edward's long snowy white fingers plucking along the keys._ "_

_"As my train rolls down the east coast, I wonder how you keep warm. It's too late to cry. Too broken to move on. And still I can't let you be, most nights I hardly sleep. Don't see what you need from me."_

Both my singing and Edward's piano paused for second. Suddenly, loud piano notes exploded from below me and belted out the chorus as loud and expressive as I could, my voice retaining its soul.

_"A drop in the ocean. A change in the weather. I was praying that you and me might end up together. It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert. But I'm holding you closer than most, because you are my heaven!" _

I continued the song until the very end, expressing joy, sadness, and energy in my words like Edward and I practiced, and once my last line escaped from my mouth, I felt amazing.

It was so invigorating!

Just then, a roaring applause erupted throughout the room, people yelled and whistled their respects and I felt like laughing joyously at their enthusiasm.

Edward turned and hugged me eagerly. "That was so great, honey. You did amazing!"

When the applause finally died down, both Edward and I stood up and took a bow. But they wanted an encore, which I was willing to give.

"You want to do another one?" Edward asked. I decided it couldn't hurt.

I agreed, "But I want you to sing with me this time."

"Alright," he said. "I'll get the band to fill in for me."

Together, Edward and I caused a phenomenal music scene in the ballroom. We covered two songs as duets, one from Buddy Holly, the other by Huey Lewis and we managed to make them modern and interesting. Meanwhile, people raved and applauded us every time.

I loved Edward's voice. It was soft and melodic, keeping a manly-esque quality that was music to my ears-no pun intended. It was a good contrast to my voice, as well.

Also, I was hoping Jacob was out in the crowd and he enjoyed the songs. He, like many people, steered me towards singing. That and memory channeling through my hands was my natural-born "gift".

Except, I hadn't directed a memory through contact since I mastered my mind shield. It was definitely more convenient not showing somebody everything on my mind by a simple handshake, as you could imagine.

I never knew how Edward could survive hearing everyone's thoughts involuntarily. It was a wonder how he never went insane.

Unfortunately, we had run out of time on the stage and had to get going.

We only rented out the Seattle Hillcrest Club till eleven. However, we all knew the Cullens could easily pay any fee they would have charged.

Edward was obviously very proud of me, he told me every five seconds. And he somehow managed to be undeterred by performing, meanwhile my legs were still shaken and I was sweating from the spotlight's heat.

I stumbled off stage, my vision dark and fuzzy from being blinded for so long and I walked into a crowd of applauding guests. A lot of people whistled as I walked by or clapped a hand on my back.

Edward steered me through the crowd and towards the back door. We stepped out into the cool evening air and I sighed as the delicious coldness hit my face.

"That wasn't so bad, huh?" he asked me, passing me a glass of water he grabbed on the way out me. I gulped it thirstily.

"I know," I admitted. "I thought it'd be a lot worse." I emptied the glass and handed it back to him, sitting down on the cold stone steps I breathed heavily.

I was suddenly super tired, my eyes barely stayed open. "What does everyone else think?"

Edward grinned, "Esme and Rosalie were almost in tears. Alice was so elated she nearly took out an old lady with her jumping spasms." My laughter filled the air.

"Em, Jazz, and Carlisle are very proud. And so am I," he added, kissing my forehead. "You did great, sweetheart."

I leaned into his cool side, "Thanks, Daddy." I added the _daddy_ part to show my gratitude. We stayed like that for several minutes before the doors opened up and the wedding party began to file out. Edward and I joined the family that came out with the crowd and said our goodbyes to the wedding guests, shaking hands and taking compliments to the nine yards.

The wolves each gave me a bone-crushing hug and told me how great I was. I'm sure I blushed enough to put Bella to shame at that. Jacob was one of the last to come out, walking with the bride and groom.

Everyone watched as Charlie and Sue hopped into Rosalie's be-wedded convertible and drive off into the night, honking the horn loudly as possible. They were honeymooning in Costa Rica, courtesy of Carlisle and Esme.

The guests followed suit, the lawn emptying of cars and drunken, happy people until it was just us Cullens and the wolf pack left in the whole place.

Leah was still as beautiful as ever, looking extremely feminine among the line of dark tuxedos of her pack mates. They kept to themselves and the Cullens surrounded me, as I sat on a bench under a colorful cherry tree.

They were waiting for something. That I could tell. But I didn't know what they were waiting for. Moments passed before anyone moved.

Suddenly, the front doors flew open, banging off the side of the walls loudly and Jasper came out, carrying a crumpled up Alice in his arms.

"Carlisle!" Jasper nearly bellowed.

Everyone turned and looked at Alice in Jasper's hold. Her face was frozen in a horrified state and she was trembling. I panicked and stood up from the bench.

"What's going on?" I asked manically. "What's wrong with her?"

No one answered me; they were busy crowding around Alice and Jasper, waiting for her to speak. Alice stared out into space, her thin, little body shaking violently.

"It's time," she barely whispered. "They're almost here." if she wasn't one of the undead, tears would've poured down her face. Meanwhile another tremor shocked through her.

"We must hurry," Carlisle insisted, closest to Alice's shaking figure.

There was a murmur among the Cullens and wolves; but everyone seemed to keep their panic under control. Jacob was among that group, but he kept looking down, scared. I had never seen Jake afraid before.

I was terrified and confused at the same time.

"Jacob?" I asked. "What's happening?" He'd answer me. He was my best friend, he'd never lie.

But he didn't say anything to me. He pretended he didn't hear me.

My heart was pounding. "What's going _on_?

I got no response. But people kept exchanging glances between each other, Jacob and me.

Unexpectedly, when I thought I had gone invisible, Carlisle was in front of me in a flash, putting his hands on either side of my face to study me. Edward followed him and they both stared me in the eye.

"Edward? How many of those drinks has she had?" He was in doctor mode.

My father didn't look me in the face, almost as though he were ashamed of something. "Three, maybe four."

Carlisle nodded, "That's good. It will work more quickly with the more she intakes."

"What?" I asked, my words slurring. "What I am _intaking_?"

Edward's face was abruptly saddened, his eyes glazing over, "How much time?"

Carlisle, too, was troubled looking, "Less than a minute. She's getting more tired by the second. Can you see it? Her pupils are dilating."

Were they?

Then, I was crowded by my family, like Carlisle's announcement was code for "Crush Nessie to Death"

Rosalie was the first to get her hands on me, "I love you," she said heartbrokenly.

Esme clutched me tight for a minute, kissing me right on the corner of my mouth and muttered a goodbye.

Emmett and Jasper did the same, all traces of the night's humor erased, replaced by animalistic fear and adrenaline.

I uneasily looked at the line of wolves and they each gave me an encouraging look, and I got hollow goodbyes from both Jared and Embry.

"Why?" I looked around at the faces of my family. "_What_ is going _on_, you guys?"

Alice was busy trying to get herself out of post-traumatic-vision state to acknowledge me, but I could sense her distress.

Edward and Carlisle held onto me like I was going to run away, which I may have if they had released me.

Carlisle put a freezing hand on my face, "Take care, Renesmee." He kissed my cheek and gave me over to Edward. Bella joined him.

"Mom? Tell me what's going on?" The tears leaked down my face.

Bella was crying, too, like a vampire. "I'm so sorry, honey," she sobbed, hugging me passionately. "Just know that we all love you. _I_ love you. More than my own life, remember?" My mother's beautiful scrunched up in pain. "I wish you only the best."

I was so painfully _confused_!

"Please, just tell me!" Bella's head shook my side to side, almost like she trying to get something out of her head.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." She repeated herself until Edward had to peel her off me.

He leaned in and kissed my forehead, "I love you, sweetheart. Stay strong." I couldn't even open my mouth because I was so rapidly exhausted.

Alice suddenly yelled, "Six miles away, everyone!" The wolves' stances broadened and Cullens got more anxious.

"Nessie has ten seconds. I can see her going under." Most of everyone took that as conformation for something and turned their backs on me to look into the advancing darkness, expectantly.

Edward pulled Bella away from me much to her protest and summoned my wolf. "It's time, Jacob."

Jake was at my side in a flash, and I felt my eyes droop almost all the way closed as soon as Edward said that. I couldn't help it; it was involuntary, like anesthesia. I slumped up against the side of Jake's warm body feeling like my limbs had turned to noodles, and he lifted me into his arms securely.

"It's time to go," I heard Edward say before his scent disappeared as my senses dulled.

"Keep her safe," Edward breathed.

"I _will_," Jacob said strongly.

_What was happening_!

But the last thing I remembered, was seeing Jacob's beautiful face above me.

He mumbled, "It's all going to be okay, Nessie." And I went under into unconsciousness.

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**_Chapter's Song: "Spotlight" -MuteMath_**

**_ Also from Veraleeon: "A Drop in The Ocean" -Ron Pope_**

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**_AN: Sorry to leave you hanging. Check in on Tuesday for the next chapter! I think you all are gonna love it!_**

**_Review, Review, Review!_**


	13. Take Me Away

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**_Chapter Thirteen: Take Me Away_**

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I awoke to a pleasant, comfortable scent.

It smelled of new car. And it smelled deliciously like my Jacob, making me dreamily smile and sigh happily. Relaxed, I came out of my sleep.

I realized I was moving, as well. Beneath the soft, plush fabric in which I was laying on I felt a constant run, like a motor. I was in a car, perhaps?

Opening my eyes, I felt dizzy and disoriented. My memory of last night was a vague blur, full of random, seemingly unverified moments. Everything was fuzzy. I barely knew what happened, actually.

Mulling over every thing I could rack out of my brain, I suddenly remembered it. Last night, something happened to the family. I was falling asleep against my will, watching the crazy commotions around me.

My family said goodbye to me, much to my confusion. I remembered Jake's face most clearly. He carried me away from my family. That much I can memorize. Edward gave him to me and told him it was time to go. Time to go where? As I said, things weren't too clear for me.

I blinked several times to get a whitish haze out my vision; my head swam with aches like I had slept for too long.

I sat up, hearing the bones in my legs crack and my muscles quiver.

I was in the backseat of Bella's blue Ferrari, giving reason to why my muscles were so sore. It was a small backseat, in which I had scrunched myself up into a ball the whole night.

Also, I was speeding down a sunny highway in an area I had no idea where it was. Looking around wildly at the scene before me, I was suddenly aware of my passenger.

Jacob was driving Bella's Ferrari; his hands clenched onto the wheel so tightly his hands were white-boned. My eyes followed along his face and his expression was taut and concentrated. Definitely angry. He was till wearing his tux, his jacket and tie hung over the back of the seat.

I was still in my dress; the fabric was uncomfortable tangled around me. I tried my best to quietly loosen the material around my legs and kicked my shoes off to escape my blisters.

However, there was an air to room. It was nervous, fearful, and especially dissimilar. I had never seen Jacob so taut and jumpy at the same time in my life, almost as though he were trying to distinguish the urge to punch something.

In the next minute, I had found my voice.

"Jacob?" I whispered into the cabin.

He looked as though he were made of stone, he didn't even blink. It scared me why were speeding down a highway in the middle of nowhere, since I didn't recognize the area whatsoever.

Jacob nearly jumped out his seat, causing the Ferrari to swerve a little on the road. He blinked wildly and turned around to face me.

His expression was worried and discomfited. He didn't say anything, though.

"Jacob," I repeated. "Where are we?"

My heart pounded due to my fear. What _had_ happened last night? Was something coming for us? What did it want? Why am I in Bella's Ferrari with no recollection how I got into it?

I felt like I was going to cry, actually. I was so utterly confused I was angry. I just didn't know where it should be directed.

"_Jacob_," I insisted. "_Please_, tell me what's going on." I leaned forward, my head inches from the back of his. "_Please_." I breathed desperately.

Jacob's stature finally slackened, his whole body nearly slumping into the seat. My own nerves seemed to lessen with his calm. He was less livid, subtracting from my own fears.

His breath came out in a shaky gust and he finally spoke.

"Sacramento," he said. "That's where we are."

My heart stopped and my eyes widened. "_Sacramento_!"

He nodded sadly in conformation.

"What? Why?" I scrambled closer, nearly straddling the console. "Why the hell are we in California?" None of this was making any sense at all. I had so many questions that needed to be answered, and in the steps '_who_, _what_, _where_, _why_, _and_ _how'_, I already got the _where_, but the biggest issue right now was the _why_ I was here.

"Jacob, please!" I exclaimed exasperatedly.

I couldn't take the silent treatment anymore. I wasn't a child who had to be lied to! And I told him that, actually. Jake's response was saddened and torn.

He spoke slowly, pronouncing each word with care almost as though he were trying to convince himself of it.

"I know that, honey, he said. "But I _can't_ _explain_ right now. I am just _so_..._angry_, that I can't even keep myself under wraps. I feel like I am about to explode any minute." He turned back away from the road, to look me in the eyes tenderly. "I can't stand it, Ness."

Jacob's tone was melting my heart. I couldn't take the sight of him suffering, no matter what it was causing the pain.

"Alright," I breathed. "But you have to tell me later."

He had turned his head back to the road, so I purposely got closer, grabbed his jaw and twisted his face around to see my eyes, my face inches from his. I tried very hard for the closeness not to get to me, but I had a purpose.

He gulped, but gazed at me.

"Do you _promise_?" I asked quietly, gazing into those pools of dark chocolate.

I could see the tendons in his neck tighten as we remained centimeters from each other. His scent filled the space and his warmth radiated over to me. I bit my lip and resituated my legs to quiet my arousal.

"Yes," he whispered. His voice was rough, and sound was enough to stir me. "Later."

I slowly back away from his face. The proximity alone was enough to create sliceable tension between us, the kind that made my have to rub my thighs together to create some sort of abrasion to the peculiar sensations.

"That's all I'm asking for," I breathed. "Thank you." I crawled into the front seat next to him, but tried to keep as far away as possible so I wouldn't reawake my sensation-provocation.

He nodded and then returned his attention towards the road. It was too uncomfortable to talk even though that's all I wanted to do. I wanted to get to the bottom of our disappearance and why we left.

However, now was not the time, now was the time to let Jacob guide us through whatever he had to. He promised me. That's all I could hope for. That he would always be honest with me.

If I wasn't so scared and worried, bouncing my leg in the seat to quiet my fearful anticipation, I would have really enjoyed Sacramento.

It was a bustling city nestled into a warm area, with lots of busy people rushing around. It was nice to see blooming trees along the city streets; they made me feel more at home with their beautiful green pigments. I tried to imagine myself hanging in a large pine tree back in the woods back home. That saddened me, however.

Jacob and I got lots of stares driving in a blue Ferrari. Some people even cheered us, for example a group of boys with skateboards yelled their appreciation at us.

But it was a beautiful city, though. I loved the architecture like in most cities, and the fact I was in California made it that much more special. Esme had taught me to love all cities for their architecture and how to differentiate between the different builds. On most vacations we took, my family would teach me things and show me things along the way that I would have never guessed existed.

If only it were a vacation I was on and not a getaway run.

An hour later through traffic we made it farther into downtown Sacramento where it was warmer and sunnier. Jacob rolled up the tinted windows to avoid bystanders from seeing my hybrid glow. That was the last thing we needed.

The sun was setting, too. Its buttery glow shining off the tops of the skyscrapers and along the water ways and rivers we passed. It was very enjoyable, if it weren't for my unappeasable fear that something was wrong with the family. What if they were hurt and it was my fault?

That put me back into a hectic frenzy, causing me to bounce my legs, bite my lips, and chew my fingernails again.

Jacob and I soundlessly scaled the city of Sacramento in silence. I didn't ask him anything; I just let him have his time to cool off.

I wanted to speak with him so badly, though. I had so many questions, but he needed to let his anger recede before any explaining took place. If it was one thing I knew about Jacob Black was his ability to get pissed very quickly, but also calm very well. It just took time.

But it was just so _awkward_ sitting in this car together, every five minutes I would look at him the wrong way and cause my arousal to flare up. It was getting miserable for me. I didn't even know what it was causing that feeling.

Was it normal?

See, that was something I would never know by myself without someone telling me. I hated that I didn't know things like that. No one ever prepared me for it.

I just didn't think it was the kind of topic I'd talk to Jacob about.

With one more glance to study to curve of his perfect jaw line, and the way it moved when he swallowed was enough to make me rub my legs together. The form of his shoulders and his big, strong arms were enough to actually make me dizzy. His soft looking, dark lips made me bite mine.

And when I thought things like this, Jacob would suddenly stiffen, like something had poked him in the side. But he would quickly cover it up and turn back to driving. I think he wanted to say something, too.

Twilight fell over the beautiful city and the lights light up the whole scene enough to take my breath away. Seattle wasn't like this...

But what came with night was Jacob's relaxation. After hours of holding himself taut and concentrated, he finally let out a sigh, and turned on his turn signal.

We pulled into a Holiday Inn Express, got a parking space, and turned off the engine.

Finally he faced me and smiled tiredly. "Are you sleepy, yet?"

I stretched out my tired muscled and joints, "Yes."

"Well, apparently all our bags are in the trunk," he said. "I'll get them and then we can check in." Yeah, he was definitely uncomfortable. Jacob was not the kind who had trouble with small talk.

We stepped out into the evening, even though it was super muggy and hot still. That I was not used to, either.

Popping the trunk, Jacob took out four duffle bags, two red and two blue, and somehow managed to stuff them all in his huge hands.

I followed suit, looking to see if there was anything else and shutting the trunk before following him towards the entrance. People stared at out attire, I in a bridesmaid's dress, him in a tuxedo.

Inside, the place was very neat and clean, smelling of lemon soap and cotton. One of my favorite combos.

"This way, Nessie." Jake directed me, keeping me close behind him. We stepped up to the front desk, where a blonde haired college boy was running the counter.

"Hello," he said mechanically, not looking up from his computer. His name tag read _Trey_. "Welcome to the Holiday Inn Express, how may I help you?" He was obviously very bored with his job until he looked up and saw us.

With one look in my direction, the guy perked up and stood up, all smiles.

"Hi, there," Trey said to me in a very weird tone, and gave me a crooked grin. "How you doing, cutie?" He waggled his eyebrows at me and raked my figure. I felt like taking a step back. I'd never gotten a response like that...

Before I could say anything I almost heard Jacob growl, "We're checking in," he spat at him. "One room," Jacob miffed. "Two beds."

I didn't like that. Jacob used to sleep with me when I was little. And for some reason, I don't think I would be able to sleep tonight without Jake beside me.

Trey reluctantly took his eyes off me and grabbed a room key. And before he could tell us a total, Jake flung a few bills at him.

"Keep the change, dickwad." Grabbing the room key out of Trey's hand, Jacob took the bags into his arms.

But before we could leave, Trey quickly said to me, "Hey, listen cutie? I get off my shift at ten, if you wanna put one of these rooms to good use. I could call a friend, too, if you'd like," He waggled his eyebrows at me again.

I could hear Jacob growling angrily behind me, as he stood up again.

I was confused at what that meant. "I beg your pardon?"

Jacob grabbed my hand before Trey could respond, "Let's _go, _Nessie."

He towed me away; all the while I was unsure what that Trey guy meant. Things like that confused me.

He wants me and him to use a room to what? I didn't get that. I guess I was too sheltered to know.

After a few minutes of walking through the main floor, we rounded another hallway. "Jacob?" I asked. "What did that boy mean?"

We stopped in front of an elevator. Jacob practically punched the button, but we still had to wait for it to come.

He seemed very uncomfortable. "Nothing, Nessie," he said. "That guy's just a little fucking creeper, that's what." He shook his head from side to side, obviously angry.

"But what did he _want_, Jake?"

It took a moment for him to answer me, when I thought he wouldn't, his tone was livid.

"_You_."

That set me off even more. "Wait, what? Why?"

Jacob almost laughed. "_Why_?" I nodded my head honestly.

"Why, Ness? ...Because you're beautiful and charming and lots of guys are going to hit on you," he explained softly, looking me into the eyes.

Jacob thought I was beautiful and charming? That made my heart race a little.

The notion alone warmed me up.

The elevator then stopped at our floor and it opened to reveal an empty cabin. We stepped in and Jake told me to press _three_. He was carrying all the bags, but when I asked to help him he refused, saying stuff like they were too heavy for me.

Finally we located our room on the third floor. Jacob took the liberty of unlocking the door and carrying all the bags in.

The room was just like the rest of the hotel. It was clean and neat and there were two, comfy-looking beds, a TV, and a bathroom like every other hotel room. Jacob sat the bags down on the bed and turned to me.

"You probably want the shower first, of course," he said, removing his button up shirt to reveal a tight t-shirt that hugged his muscles perfectly. I almost lost my ability to create words at that gesture but I nodded. I _was _pretty uncomfortable.

"Sure," I replied. "I'll be quick, though."

I walked towards the bags, "Which ones are mine?"

Jacob zipped open one of the blue ones and checked it out. "I don't think Alice would've packed me a dress and strawberry shampoo," he said.

I laughed and took the blue bags, "Hey, you never know," I grinned.

He snorted and rolled his eyes, "Get in the shower, Nessie," he said, ruffling my hair before I left.

Inside the bathroom, I carefully put my white bridesmaid's dress at the bottom of one of the blue bags, and took a quick shower, removing all traces of heavy makeup and Alice's hairdo.

When I was done I smelled like strawberries and pomegranates, and felt much more relaxed.

I then checked out what Alice had packed for me, which included some things I never thought she'd do for me. Alice actually packed me things I liked.

Inside were eight pairs of jeans, half pants, half shorts, and eight different colored t-shirts. Everything was very simple, like my style at home. Plus, a pair of sneakers was at the bottom, next to a bag of underwear and bras. I bet Alice nearly threw a box of kittens out the window with what she had to work with for me.

However, there _was_ a dress. It was a white, pretty cotton summer outfit that actually looked very comfortable. Alice had to _somewhere_.

And she also packed me a few changes of pajamas. Gray, blue, and black sweatpants and a few of Bella's old favorite band t-shirts, they would fit well and even smell like her. I felt better at that.

So I pulled on the gray sweatpants Bella's Muse band-tee and brushed me teeth and wet hair meticulously.

I gathered the bags and stepped outside the bathroom to find my handsome Jacob already in his pajamas, sweatpants a thin shirt, laid across the bed, watching TV. His eyes were tired, but when he saw me he smiled.

"Better now?"

"Much better," I confirmed. "Kill me whenever I decide to wear heels again, will ya?"

He cracked a grin, "No can do, sweetheart. You're stuck with yourself." I plopped onto the bed by the window, seeing how I knew Jacob would want to be closest to the door in case anything happened.

He was flicking through the channels, causally lounged across his bed. I wanted to talk to him so badly, however, he seemed to be in a rather pleasant mood and I didn't want to change that.

And so I sat there for a half an hour while we flipped through the channels, and we eventually ended up on an older sitcom. I didn't know how funny How I met Your Mother was late at night, apparently much more than I was home watching it alone when I couldn't sleep.

But with Jake, the way he laughed at the dialogue made it more enjoyable for me.

"You know, Ness?" Jake asked during a commercial. "Rachel and Rebecca used to make me watch this show with them every Friday night growing up?" He looked a bit sheepish.

"No," I grinned. "You never told me that."

"Well, I'm telling you now," he said. "Every Friday they'd drag me to the living room to watch this show, sometimes even making me stay still so they could brush my hair."

My laughter filled the air. "_Really_?"

He beamed shamefacedly, "Yeah, but I took it like man." I laughed again at the image. I knew Jake had long hair before he was werewolf, but that was just sad.

"I bet you rocked the piggy-tail look," I teased.

He chuckled, "You bet your ass I did, honey. Don't act like this handsome devil can't work the piggy-tail."

We both shared another laugh and gazed at each other happily, my heart racing a little at the sight of his beautiful dark brown eyes.

However, I couldn't stop my mouth, especially when I was dazzled like that. My next question came out desperately.

"Jacob, will you tell me now?" I asked.

His smile immediately vanished and he stirred in his bed. Yeah, now was not the best time, either. But I had to know.

"Um...Ness," he said uncomfortably, trying to escape the conversation.

"C'mon, Jacob. I waited all day for you to tell me why." I would beg if that helped. "I'm going to die of perplexity, here."

Jacob sighed in defeat, "Alright, Nessie."

I sat up farther in my bed, waiting for the information.

However, his explanation started with a question.

"Nessie, do you remember...the Volturi?"

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**_Chapter's Song: "Take Me Away" -Plain White T's _**

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**_AN: So, what do you guys think about the abrupt departure? The situation? The sexual tension? Please, leave me a review telling me what you think. But just to clairify, yes, Nessie does not know what sex is exactly. She knows physical attraction a bit b/c she's feeling it for Jacob, but other than that, she's very oblivious to it. Thanks, guys!_**


	14. Tell Me Everything, But Don't Spare Me

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**_Chapter Fourteen: Tell Me Everything, Don't Spare Me_**

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My eyes widened. "The _Volturi_?"

A slew of images swam through my head at that name. Old memories of my early childhood, ones I could not distinguish between pleasant or awful. And I mean that in the way in which some memories were pleasant, the ones with my family. And the awful ones were one of my earliest memories about the Volturi.

I remember the Volturi very much, indeed.

"I do," I whispered.

They came for me right after I was born. To kill me and to kill my family. They came in great numbers, but so had we. Carlisle had summoned some of the Earth's greatest nomadic vampires to represent us. In that group were my good friends Carmen from the Alaskan clan, and Zafrina from the amazons. They had kept in touch with me over the years, but I had gotten no visits. But we surely assembled a surprising and intimidating group to represent us. I remember only images, not sounds or voices as we managed to make it out alive and well from their evil.

I remember my family's elation and brightness after that, seeing how my first several months of life were confusing and my family was terrified for me if I was going to be able to live for more than a few years. However, Alice had found Nahuel, who had spoken of what really occurs to a hybrid. We mature in our first several years of life, and stay that way for near eternity. Of course I recall that day.

I came out of my epiphany, and looked to Jacob, who had been waiting patiently for my response.

I cocked my head, "How are they apart of this, though?"

Jacob sighed, "Because, they're back, Nessie. They've come for us, again. After all this time, after we've been through with them, they still want the Cullens out of picture." He paused for a second.

"They even want you more."

That stirred me.

"They want _me_?"

He slowly nodded his head, "Yes, Nessie."

I clambered to the near edge of bed almost, because somehow it might make me closer to the conversation. I couldn't believe they wanted my family...dead.

And they wanted me...but in what way?

"Why do they want me, Jacob?" I breathed, horrified. "How could they not be satisfied? We did everything they wanted us to. None of us are a threat!" My voice was creeping higher with hysteria.

Jacob closed his eyes, obviously saddened by the concept. "I don't know, Nessie. All they want is you, and since none of us are going to give you up, they want all of us dead."

That hit me harder than a ton of bricks. "But _what_ do they want me for?"

Jacob remained silent. "_Jacob_?"

After a long moment of his silence, he finally said painfully. "I don't know if I can explain without exploding, Nessie. Those _fucking_ _leeches _want you, and I can't stand it." His jaw was held rigid.

"Please, Jake," I murmured. "I _need_ to know."

He was still torn. "I don't want to..._worry_ you." My quiet was his confirmation.

Jake's stature became less taut, and he straightened his posture, guiding his shoulder back for what seemed like a speech. I almost fell of the side of my bed, waiting for his explanation.

"Nessie...what you have to understand is, is that we love you so much. We would do anything to protect you. To the point where we would turn to bloodshed for your safety."

I gulped.

"The Volturi...want you...for experimentation," he said like it was verbal napalm.

I was confused. "What kind of experimentation?"

He took a deep breath to settle himself. "The kind that makes me sick. The kind that makes everything in my world go black. The kind that would even make Carlisle wish for them suffer about it."

I was getting impatient with the letting on. "Just tell me everything, Jake," I breathed, my heart racing.

He took a long moment after that, I imagine to make sure he didn't phase from anger. I was not worried that he would explode; Jake had more hold of himself that Paul or Jared when it came to rage.

"They want to create a half-vampire army to use at their disposal for fighting," he said. "Meaning, they want to make you...breed the fucking spawns of Satan and when they're done with you..." he said words as though they were poison, "Kill you, so you would not be able to stand in their way. They want to breed you with other types of fucking monsters and see the result...they don't even care if you d-..." He couldn't go on.

I think bile rose in my throat. They wanted me to..._mother_ their army! That's disgusting! How could they even think like that!

"Oh, my god," I mumbled. I just started to notice tears brimming up to my eyes. "How _could_ they?"

Jacob was holding himself so harshly, I thought he were a statue. Well, a trembling statue.

He spoke roughly, "I don't want to talk about it anymore, Nessie. I just can't. It's too hard for me." I could hear the joints in his balled fists cracking from exertion. "When I think about it, all I want to do is track down those mother-fucking leeches and kill them." His beautiful face scrunched up in anger.

I couldn't take it anymore. His hurt was my hurt. I crossed the room and climbed into Jacob's bed with him.

"Oh, Jacob," I breathed, wrapping my arms around him and hugging him dearly. "I'm so sorry. I wish I could take it all away for you." I was tearing up pretty badly, but I was covering it up as best as I could.

Jake held me back tightly, even though his words were contradictory. "Nessie?" he said incredulously. "Vampires want to use you for their evil plan to rule the world and you're comforting _me_?" He sighed. "You're so Bella."

I felt like chuckling, "Yeah, I know. I'm still sorry though."

Jacob sighed and kissed my hair, "I'm sorry if I worried you, honey. You just need to know we are going to _fight_ to keep you safe. No matter what it takes."

I took a moment to enjoy being so close to Jacob, wrapped up in his arms, in his warm bed. The frightening concept of the Volturi's desire to have me in their clutches seemed less terrifying in Jacob's arms. It was like bad things didn't exist.

"I know you will, Jakey," I mumbled. He laughed at his name. "You always make me feel safe. That's why I love you so much." My words were a little embarrassing, and they even made Jacob stiffen uncomfortably. I tried to cover up my sentence with, "That's why you're my best friend." Which I think worked...

I couldn't see his face, because mine was lying against his chest, and we simply stayed that way for what felt like an eternity. His woodsy scent and big strong arms were enough to make me stir crazy, I even tried to move my legs around to give myself some leverage but that only made my tracks worse.

When exhaustion started to creep up on me, I decided to make one last statement.

"Jake?"

"Hmm?" He was on the verge of passing out, too.

"Thanks for being honest with me," I said. "I'm glad you and me can talk like this without trying to spare the other one."

Jacob's big, warm hand rubbed up and down my back. "That's what I'm for, Nessie."

I giggled.

But he really was tired, so I shut up to let him sleep. He probably would have told me to go back in my other bed across the room, but I didn't want to. I wanted to stay wrapped in his arms for the rest of my life.

However, when I decided to get more comfortable, I budged Jacob's legs apart to thread one of mine through. I was more comfortable that way.

And as soon as I put my leg in between his, his body suddenly went stiff and he nearly jumped off the bed. I didn't understand.

"Nessie," Jacob said, fully-awake now, "I think you should go back to your bed."

That inevitably stung a little.

"Why?"

"Because, honey, I-I-I just think you should," he stuttered.

I was confused. I didn't want to go anywhere, though...

"Please, Jake," I begged. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep alone." I cuddled closer to him. "Please, let me lay with you for tonight. I need to be next to you." I knew my words were a little awkward, but they were true. Plus, my tone was a near whine, which I couldn't help.

Jacob eventually sighed in defeat, "Alright. Just for tonight."

I was immediately elated, and with a big smile on my tired face, I snuggled up closer on Jacob's chest, and he held me tighter, keeping his warm, enveloping arms encasing my body. I would never feel more relaxed than in his arms.

I then tried to thread my leg back between Jacob's legs, to which he almost protested. But he ultimately let it go and I was then comfortable enough to sleep.

Jacob sighed after a few moments he kissed the top of my head, "Goodnight, Nessie," he murmured tiredly.

"Night, Jacob," I bid, my words muffled by his chest.

And I then drifted off into a peaceful sleep in my Jacob's arms.

However, if only my dreams were as relaxed and smooth as my consciousness. Frankly, they were dismayed, disturbing, and downright cavalier. And this was definitely a terrifying one.

In the evening, somewhere deep into a forest, my family were waiting expectantly for something to arrive. My heart was racing, even though I was not exactly there. I was standing over the figures of the Cullens, but I was not there on body. The wolves were with them, too, but I saw no beautiful, russet wolf.

Alice was the center of attention right now, everyone looking to her for the next move. Her face was a mask of concentration; her little face seemed to almost explode with focus.

Moments passed with the vampires and werewolves waiting for Alice and looking out into the distance for something...or someone.

Suddenly Alice yelled, "On your left!" And everyone turned just in time for their dangerous guests to arrive.

I recognized every one of the arrivers.

The Big Three; Aro, Caius, and Marcus, Jane, Alec, Felix, Demetri, and even Renata were in the front of a dark, brooding, advancing line along the evening blue.

Aro stepped forward.

"Where's the girl?" he asked sickly-sweet.

My family and wolves' stances became more prominent.

"Out of your reach," Carlisle announced, acting as the mouth piece for our family. "You can't have her, Aro. Get that through your head."

Aro seemed a little inflicted, but also downright bored. "That's too bad, I see." He sighed like he was acting on a premeditated exploit. "I guess you simply...came to die," he declared calmly. "Tssk-tssk...such a waste."

I rumble of growls and a series of aggravated hisses were that response, and I knew my family was getting ready.

Ready for a fight.

The vision dark, like someone put a blindfold over my eyes, but I could hear. I heard the sounds of fighting, of limbs breaking and wind crashing, but that also meant painful screams and cries of mercy.

Cries of my family, my mother's scream in particular stuck in my brain more than anymore else's...

I then woke with a start, my heart pounding in my ears. I noticed I had been crying in my sleep again.

I sat up in my bed, gathering information that in was still in a hotel room, and that it was simply a nightmare...an awful nightmare.

I was nearly hyperventilating, and when I went to grasp the sheets next to me, I noticed they were empty.

"Jacob!" I called desperately, my voice thick with sleep and tears. "Jacob, where are you!"

The bathroom door crashed open, and Jacob jumped out, his hair wet with a toothbrush in his mouth, which dropped onto the carpet.

"What! What happened?" His head whipped around wildly, expecting danger. But the danger was in my own head. It took Jake only seconds to realize there was no apparent danger, that the room was empty besides me.

Jacob eventually turned and saw my weak, crying figure lying hopelessly on the bed, and he rushed over.

"Nessie?" he asked urgently, sitting down on the bed and taking me into his arms again. "What's wrong?" His skin was much hotter from the shower, and it took me only a fraction of a second to realize he was shirtless, wet, and wearing a pair of jeans only.

But I couldn't enjoy the sight due to my heart breaking.

"Nothing," I cried. "Just a bad dream, that's all." I was still dripping with tears and my emotional wall of strength had been knocked down, but Jacob still held me tight, even rocking me back and forth on the bed until I stopped crying. How could he be so good to me? I'd never know...

"I'm so sorry, Nessie, honey," he breathed, kissing my hair. "What was it about?"

I shook my head from side to side, trying to find my voice again. "_Them_. They were fighting my family." I knew he knew who I was talking about.

"Oh, honey, they're all okay," he replied soothingly. "The Volturi won't make a move, trust me. You're family is safe. They might even call today."

"I know, I know," I was bobbing my head like a ragdoll. "It was just a dream, I know." I hugged him back for a few minutes. "Thanks, Jake."

Jacob kissed my forehead and grinned at me, "That's what I'm here for."

I smiled appreciably. "Sorry to scare you." I wiped the tears off my face when I knew I was done crying.

He almost laughed. "Nothing can scare the big, bad wolf."

I had to laugh at that, feeling much better already. "I _already_ knew _that_," I teased, slipping out of Jacob's arms to stand up and stretch. "Your ego has always persisted to remain the biggest thing in the room."

He chuckled and stood up, too, picking up his dropped toothbrush and picking up the lint off the bristles. "Alright, seeing how _you're_ obviously better, I'm going to finish getting cleaned up."

I yawned happily; glad to see my dangers vanish from Jacob's presence. "What's going today?"

Jacob grabbed a towel off the bathroom door, "Well, they stop serving breakfast downstairs in an hour, so we can grab some when we're ready."

He dried off his wet hair and front, and I tried hard to not let my eyes wander to where the water drops were dripping down his chest and abs, but I bit my lip anyway

"But first," Jacob said faux-furtively, which earned a snicker from me. "We have a date with a little black book."

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****Chapter's Song: "Tell Me Everything" -Just Surrender ** I don't personally like this song for this chapter, I just took the title.**_

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**_AN: Review, Review, Review! If you have just been reading SR and not reviewing, start. I'd love your input! And if you are one of my lovely, loyal reviews, thanks a million-AGAIN. God knows I thank you all the time in my PM's-but who wouldn't? You guys are amazing!_**

**_Anyway, I know there's a lot of you out there because on Tuesday my hits/visitors traffic status went higher than ever before! Thanks so much and keep it up. You guys fuel my motivation! See you Tuesday!_**


	15. Audience Of One

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**_Chapter Fifteen: Audience Of One_**

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Jacob grabbed a shirt from one of his bags, and from the looks of his luggage, he, too, got the same deal as me. He received eight pairs of jeans and black, white, and navy blue colored t-shirts. Alice knew we had to keep a low, average profile; attract as little attention as possible. But how far did that save you when you had a seven-foot wolf and a glowing vampire hybrid on your hands?

But when he got his shirt on, he dug deeper into the bag, and returned with two black bags which he took with great care.

One was a fluid, dark leather briefcase. It was intimidating; like a godfather briefcase, if you will. Meanwhile, the other was a notebook sized leather-bound book that zipped all the way along the side, like a carry-on luggage piece.

"Alice gave us this to get us by," Jacob explained, and he brought the luggage over to our bed and sat down on the corner.

He took the intimidating briefcase and flicked its locks open. I half expected to see alien-killing-ak-47;s, but he actually revealed a wide case fully stocked with daunting piles of _cash_ money. I had never seen so much money in my life.

My jaw dropped. "Oh, my god. How much _is_ that, Jake?"

Bricks of green paper stacked its way full to the brim. I couldn't imagine the sum of what we had in our hands right now. Millions maybe...

Jacob whistled in appreciation, "Enough to get us by very comfortably for the time being_,_" he enlightened me, taking out one stack and brushed his fingers along the spine. "They wanted us to be prepared in case we were going to be...gone for a while."

Jacob gave me a tender look before putting the money back and locking the briefcase closed again; he knew what his words meant. We were going to be gone for a long time, so we needed to be simply well funded.

And I had been meaning to ask this, anyway. "Jake? How long are we going to be running from them?"

I didn't hear anything but silence for a moment, but he then sighed, taking the leather notebook in hand now.

"However long it takes Ness. But I'm not going to lie to you," he said compassionately, putting one of his warm hands on mine. "We may be out on the run for several months."

My throat felt a little tight. Several _months_ without seeing my family...god, my mother must be a wreck.

"Are you okay, Nessie," he then asked urgently, lifting my chin with his fingertip. I gulped at his touched but quickly excused it.

"I'm fine, Jake," I dismissed. "It's just kind of...overwhelming, you know?" He nodded generously, reaching up to push a rouge curl and tuck it behind my ear, making my blood speed up its pace a little.

I motioned for him to now open the leather notebook, unsure of what else we'd need. What would two immortal teenagers need on a quest to evade demonic-vampiric-bad-guys? I obviously wouldn't know...

Jacob unzipped the notebook to reveal a setup of confusing papers and plastics. However, it only took a few seconds to realize what it all was.

Jasper once gave me an educational seminar on counterfeit identification.

"Fake ID's?" Jacob mused. He took out two passports, two licenses, and a Ferrari 458 Italia registration. From the looks of Jasper's premeditated fixtures, Jacob and I were legal...illegally speaking.

Suddenly Jacob laughed, his throaty chuckle filling the room. "God, could they be anymore _ironic_?"

I cocked an eyebrow and peered over his shoulder, "What?"

He handed me the licenses and passports. One read Jacob Wolfe; the other was mine, which read Vanessa Dwyer-Wolfe. We were from Honolulu.

"_Wolfe_?"

Jake snickered, "Yeah, roar."

I laughed and looked at the passports, same thing, but our pictures were different. My license picture was from my sixteenth birthday, and the passport photo was taken only a couple weeks ago as a supposed "Candid Wedding Shot".

I flicked through the papers and then saw a marriage license, between a Vanessa Renee-Esme Dwyer and a Jacob Ephraim Black. I was legally married to Jacob?...That made my cheeks turn a little pink, to be honest. Plus, I like that they incorporated my real name into my fake name.

"And the fact we're evidently from Hawaii makes it that much more unbelievable," Jacob added humorously. "They should've just used McLovin' if they were going to be that suspicious about it."

I laughed. "_McLovin'_?"

"Yeah," Jake smiled. "From Superbad." When I didn't respond he looked a little inflicted, and tried again.

"Remember, Fogell and the fake ID?"

I raised my eyebrows in honest question.

Jake actually looked quite surprised. "You've never seen Superbad? You've lived with Emmett your whole life, and you've never seen _Superbad_?"

"No. I've seen Super_man_. Does that count?"

He put a hand on my shoulder and pretended to look saddened. "You poor, blameless, sheltered child, I think I have been corrupting your innocence this whole time."

I laughed. _Corrupt my innocence_? Sounded like it had a double meaning with the way his tone flourished off the words, which added to my quiet, ever-smoldering blushing.

But seriously, he thought he was corrupting my _innocence_? That was ridiculous. Jake's one of the only reasons I _am _so sheltered. Jacob didn't want me to be exposed like everyone else; however, I wish I did know what he was talking about. I didn't like feeling childlike.

I was very intelligent, I knew that, having aced every piece of testing given to me and every book I read I understood with deep thought...but I was not street smart, I guess you could put it if you had to.

Jacob was street smart; he taught me new things everyday.

Abruptly, Jacob sniggered again, studying my license.

"What?" I asked.

"You're supposedly twenty-two now, Ness," he said, grinning. "And I'm twenty-five."

That worried me. "Last time I checked, I couldn't pass for sixteen according to Edward."

Jacob gave me a differing look.

"Edward says stuff like that to keep you from thinking you're older," he defended. "You actually look like you're in your twenties, if you ask me; your family just doesn't like making you look older. But now, you have to look as..._legal_ as possible."

That was plausible; I knew regular humans who met me were bought into thinking I was in my twenties, but the Cullens tried to keep me as young as long as possible. Sounds like them.

Jacob then took the paperwork from my hands and put it back in the notebook and he stood up abruptly, "We better get hurrying if we want to get to breakfast."

I had almost forgotten how hungry I really was.

Standing up on wobbly legs, I stretched again, and walked over to the wall mirror. My hair was in a disheveled heap of curls, and my eyes were still a little dark underneath from Alice's makeup, but I ran my thimb under them to wipe it away. I already looked brighter.

Jacob then told me to get ready, to which I quickly went inside the bathroom, brush my hair, teeth, and face, and then went back into the room to get my clothes.

I picked a pair of medium wash jeans and the gray t-shirt, which both fit me very well. I was happy to be comfortable in jeans a t still.

"Ready?" I asked Jake, who has turned on the TV while I had gotten ready.

"Yes," he replied, turning it off and grabbing the room key from off the coffee table. "Let's go."

There was not much a find down stairs in the hall room. People had already come and gone and we had only minutes to spare before they came to clean it all up.

I had eggs and oatmeal, meanwhile Jake stacked his plate full of eggs, toast, bacon, cereal, fruit, and a big cinnamon roll to top it off. I gave him a funny look to which he took a piece of bacon and bit it off hungrily in my face. I laughed, grabbed us both drinks, and we sat down on the couch.

We ate happily in silence, watching the news broadcast station on their television.

We were the only ones there besides an elderly cleaning lady.

And as we ate, I mulled over my situation with the Volturi and my family. It was hard to be saddened, but it was easy to doubt. What if they couldn't make it? What if, all that they've been through, they die trying to protect me? That would be utterly awful.

I must have mad it noticeable, maybe I sighed sullenly, because Jacob then put his plate on the table and turned to me.

"What's wrong, Ness?"

I shrugged nonchalantly, "Nothing."

"Don't try and hide it from me," he said disparagingly. "I know when something is bothering you. Fess up."

I almost groaned and studied his beautiful face. "I'm worried, Jake. I'm worried that it's all for nothing." He opened his mouth to disagree, but I held up a silencing finger. "They're going to get themselves killed and I'm going to be the blame for it. I won't be able to live with myself."

Jacob almost seemed bewildered by my words.

"_Blame_?" he asked incredulously. "_Blame_? Nessie, you're never going to be the _blame_ of anything, honey. You're my family loves you, they are going to protect you. All of us will." The last addition to his speech he reached over and took my hand into his warm one.

I held his back and looked into his eyes. "Thanks, Jake."

Gazing into them, I remembered why I loved him so much, and wished he could love me, too.

But...he had his Leah. They both must be miserable without each other.

He kept my eyes on his, but he looked uncertain, like her was hiding something.

"What's wrong with _you_?" I asked. "I know when you're bothered, too."

He shrugged, "Nothing. I'm cool." He elbowed me playfully. "Cooler than you," he joked. I sniggered and elbowed him back.

"I'm just kidding," he retorted teasingly.

But I then I cocked an eyebrow and gave him a questioning look.

A moment went by of my stare-down, and his smile gradually melted off his handsome face.

"Fine," he groaned. "But it's not something bad; I just kind of...understated our situation last night."

"There's more?" My eyes were widening.

"Yes. But it's not what you think, Ness. Don't get upset."

Usually when someone says 'don't get upset', you do, right?

"We're not only running away," he finally said. "We're being chased by the Volturi guard."

I gulped but egged him to keep going.

"Alice is keeping her eye on the situation. Remember, she can't see neither you nor me, so if our chasers' future's suddenly disappears, that means they're close to us." I nodded my head. "So, all we have to do is simply follow her every instruction and we'll never be caught." He gave me a moment to let that all sink it.

"But we have to be careful, Ness," he added. "We have to keep a low profile, remain inconspicuous at all times. One wrong move and they could find us."

I was utterly unsettled by this information; I had to remain invisible for god knows how long.

I sighed somberly. "I copy."

He chuckled, lightening to mood. "Alright, honey, enough with the heavy. What do you want to do today?"

"That keeps us unobtrusive?"

"Yes."

I thought about that for a moment. "I guess nothing. I don't feel very cheery today. Do you mind?" I was worried that I might have been dragging Jacob down lately.

He smiled, "No, of course not." He pulled me to my feet. "Whatever you like."

We got rid of our garbage and went back up to our room, I was casually fine, meanwhile, Jacob clutched at his stomach.

"Ate too much?" I asked as we waited for the elevator.

"Oh, yeah," he moaned.

I snickered. "You are a vacuum cleaner. Did you inhale another Semi-truck when I wasn't watching?"

He grinned, "Nope. Just a Sedan." The elevator arrived then and we buggy'd it all the way to the third floor, stopping for other guests, including several people who couldn't speak English and a southern couple who tried to get me to eat their bagged dried-jerked chicken.

"You sure," the woman gushed. "It has omega-three's." She put a strip into her mouth and bit it off hard, the juices running sickly down her chin.

My stomach nearly heaved. "No, I'm good. Trust me."

From somewhere behind me, I heard Jacob stifle a comic snort.

"You're loss then, dearie. I got plenty for later." She patted the front of her fanny pack.

Her floor then came up and she and her husband got off, their fanny-packs full of jerk chicken making their way far from me. When the doors closed Jacob and I laughed until I couldn't breathe.

The happy mood followed us through the rest of the day. We watched made for TV movies and went through more of supplies Alice packed for us. We managed to get by without chewing our arms off in boredom, but we definitely could've used something to do.

We eventually went to bed at an hour that seemed designated for sleeping, both of taking turns in the shower and getting comfy in our pajamas. However, when I climbed into Jacob's bed with him again, he very much protested.

"Why can't I lay with you tonight, Jacob?" My tone was stung, but I did really want to sleep with him tonight. He made me feel better.

"Because, Ness, you should just...sleep in your own bed, that's all." He averted his eyes from mine, pretending to fiddle with the comforter.

"Please, Jake," I nearly whined. I couldn't what the problem was.

"No, Nessie," he said firmly.

A long moment passed and I decided to do something I hadn't done in years. I climbed up right in front of him on the bed on my knees, got really close, and gave him the real big puppy dog eyes.

I jetted out my bottom lip and made a little puppy-ish whine to match my wide eyes.

He suddenly laughed. But I continued to whimper and pout until he gave me happy look and finally gave in.

"Fine," he grunted. "Just get in here and quit the puppy-eyes; they get to me."

I was internally stoked, but I kept my cool, and then pulled the covers over me and snuggled close to Jake's warm body again, to which he welcomed me with wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close again.

"Goodnight, pup," he said.

I grinned, "Night, wolfy." And we soon both fell into deep sleeps

"But we have to be careful, Ness," he added. "We have to keep a low profile, remain inconspicuous at all times. One wrong move and they could find us."

I was utterly unsettled by this information; I had to remain invisible for god knows how long.

I sighed somberly. "I copy."

He chuckled, lightening to mood. "Alright, honey, enough with the heavy. What do you want to do today?"

"That keeps us unobtrusive?"

"Yes."

I thought about that for a moment. "I guess nothing. I don't feel very cheery today. Do you mind?" I was worried that I might have been dragging Jacob down lately.

He smiled, "No, of course not." He pulled me to my feet. "Whatever you like."

We got rid of our garbage and went back up to our room, I was casually fine, meanwhile, Jacob clutched at his stomach.

"Ate too much?" I asked as we waited for the elevator.

"Oh, yeah," he moaned.

I snickered. "You are a vacuum cleaner. Did you inhale another Semi-truck when I wasn't watching?"

He grinned, "Nope. Just a Sedan."

The elevator arrived then and we buggy'd it all the way to the third floor, stopping for other guests, including several people who couldn't speak English and a southern couple who tried to get me to eat their bagged dried-jerked chicken.

"You sure," the woman gushed. "It has omega-three's." She put a strip into her mouth and bit it off hard, the juices running sickly down her chin.

My stomach nearly heaved. "No, I'm good. Trust me."

From somewhere behind me, I heard Jacob stifle a comic snort.

"You're loss then, dearie. I got plenty for later." She patted the front of her fanny pack.

Her floor then came up and she and her husband got off, their fanny-packs full of jerk chicken making their way far from me. When the doors closed Jacob and I laughed until I couldn't breathe.

We had a gift of being there as each other's audience of one; we really didn't need anyone else but each other to enjoy things and laugh. It was a specialty of ours.

And the happy mood followed us through the rest of the day. We watched made for TV movies and went through more of supplies Alice packed for us. We managed to get by without chewing our arms off in boredom, but we definitely could've used something to do.

We eventually went to bed at an hour that seemed designated for sleeping, both of taking turns in the shower and getting comfy in our pajamas. However, when I climbed into Jacob's bed with him again, he very much protested.

"Why can't I lay with you tonight, Jacob?" My tone was stung, but I did really want to sleep with him tonight. He made me feel better.

"Because, Ness, you should just...sleep in your own bed, that's all." He averted his eyes from mine, pretending to fiddle with the comforter.

"Please, Jake," I nearly whined. I couldn't understand what the problem was.

"No, Nessie," he said firmly.

A long moment passed and I decided to do something I hadn't done in years. I climbed up right in front of him on the bed on my knees, got really close, and gave him the real big puppy dog eyes.

I jetted out my bottom lip and made a little puppy-ish whine to match my wide eyes.

He suddenly laughed. But I continued to whimper and pout until he gave me happy look and finally gave in.

"Fine," he grunted. "Just get in here and quit the puppy-eyes; they get to me."

I was internally stoked, but I kept my cool, and then pulled the covers over me and snuggled close to Jake's warm body again, to which he welcomed me with wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close again. I did thred a leg through his again, his stature went a little taut but he didn't protest much to my pleasure.

"Goodnight, pup," he said.

I grinned, "Night, wolfy."

We soon both fell into deep sleeps in each other's arms, but of course I had to dream about him. I just had to dream about him at a time like this.

This time we were somewhere else than what I usually dreamt of him. Usually we were at his house, or in his bedroom, somewhere like that. Places that had significant meaning to who we were as friends.

However, this time, we were in Bella's blue Ferrari. He was sitting in the driver's seat, and I was straddling his hips tightly, kissing passionately.

His fingers were laced in my hair at the moment, but were always roaming over my body. My arms, sides, legs were all traced by his hands, leaving a white-hot trail of lust along with them.

Jacob's lips were warm, soft, and pliable, and I kissed him until my mind swam with colors and I couldn't breathe without panting. I was grinning against his mouth as he pulled me closer and tighter to him. When I slowly licked his lip, he growled, leaving my arousal in a flying freefall. His mouth was so good I couldn't stop! Could you blame me?

However, his lips abruptly left mine.

But they continued to kiss down my jaw line, and neck hungrily, making bite my lips hard and my fingers went to his scalp on whim. When I felt his teeth graze over my earlobe I moaned loudly, my legs constricting closer to him. He chuckled and kept going, teasing me torturously.

The moments passed while his hands gripped my hips desperately and our mouths did the talking, if you know what I mean. For what felt like hours we pleased each other, kissing, touching, and gripping frantically. I was gasping for air by the end of our hot "session".

I then got another image.

We had stopped kissing and gazed playfully into each other's eyes. He gave me a questioning look, to which I nodded greatly. I didn't know what I was nodding to, but I guess Dream-Nessie knew.

Jacob's hands went to my hips when I granted him confirmation; they slowly trailed their way torturously along the edge of my jeans, and stopped at the buttons.

"You sure?" he asked gently.

However, I never heard myself answer.

I woke up then, my heart racing and my skin hot and sweaty.

My eyes were adjusting to the daunting darkness, blinking several times. I recognized the room fine, and knew I was alright for Jacob was still holding me tightly, snoring lightly in my ear.

I sighed, reviewing my dream. The feeling in between my legs was almost throbbing. _Painfully_, too. And I didn't know what to do for it. I didn't even have a name for it, but I felt it more than anything lately.

But as the moments passed, I kept my mind of the hot dream, even reciting the Greek alphabet to get myself off the subject as I soon alright enough to go back to sleep, keeping my breathing even and steady.

And with one more look at Jacob's beautiful, russet face, I cuddled up closer, closing my eyes, hoping for my dream to return to me.

I could simply hope that I didn't talk in my sleep...

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**_Chapter's Song: "Audience of One" -Rise Against_**

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**AN: Review, please, please! Also, forgive me with being so late with my update and giving you only a little teaser.**

**I'm pretty excited, actually, my state has a major event coming up: the fair fest. I have been making plans with my friends with all the concerts and events all this week, and so I got behind on most of my other duties. Hope it doesn't rain, though; things I'm hyped for usually get rained on. :)**

**Anyway, see you thursday! REVIEW! NOW! DO IT! DO IT! lol**


	16. Alice

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**_Chapter Sixteen: Alice_**

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"ALICE!" I exclaimed.

I leapt clear over the bed and rushed to window where Jacob had her on his cell phone.

Jacob watched as I desperately grabbed the phone from his hand, shot him a pardoning look, flicked it onto speaker phone, and began pacing the room, my legs too excited to keep still.

They had been speaking in low, hushed voices, but I was straining my ears from inside the bathroom when I started to hear Jacob whispering when I got out of the shower. I was dressed, but my hair was sopping wet from the shower that I immediately started to make a puddle on the carpet.

"Yes, hello, Nessie," Alice bid. "How are you?" Her voice was irritated, but was trying its best to remain warm and professional.

"I'm fine," I nearly shrieked from enthusiasm. "How are you? How's Mom? Dad? The family?" I was turbo tonguing my way towards hysteria, my words coming out faster with each syllable.

Alice let out a tired chuckle. "I'm alright, so is the family. We all send our love."

I grinned, "That's great! Are they right there? Can I talk to them?" I'm sure I was unintelligible with my word record speed.

"They're unavailable at the moment, dear, but I'll tell them you said hello," she said. "However, Nessie, I need to speak with Jacob. This is urgent, I'm sorry."

I was a little stung, but Jacob then stood up and put a hand on my shoulder. "This is important, Ness."

I nodded like a ragdoll, wishing I could be able to talk to my mom. "Alright," I whispered, hurt into the phone. "Here's Jake."

Jacob took the phone from my hand and kissed my forehead gently, slinging an arm around my shoulders and spoke into the phone.

"As you were saying," he continued.

He thankfully left it on speaker so I could at least hav the satisfaction of hearing her voice.

"You need to get out of there," she breathed, exhausted. "The chaser's future is slowly getting blurry, I think he may be closer than we expected." Her words made my heart pound viciously. "If my calculations are correct, I think he may be somewhere in Portland."

Jacob's tone oozed with Alpha-ness, "How long do we have?"

"Be out of Sacramento by the end of the morning," Alice replied. "Head for San Francisco. You must hurry!"

"We _will_," Jacob's alpha voice was making my shoulder's sink. It was a very powerful tone. "We'll pack as soon as we're done here."

Alice was very tired, I could tell from the very way she spoke her conditions, like she had been doing to same thing for weeks on end. I could imagine her bundled behind the stairs, away from everyone else, tracking the chaser's future all day long. I felt a strong urge of sympathy for her.

"Very well," she said. "I must go now, if the chaser is going to be waiting for a cellular signal from you, he may get it from calls like these. Never call me back, and don't call _anyone_ else, " Alice commanded. "He may be able to locate you that way, you hear? But Emmett and Jasper are about to Portland now I believe to see if they can get a hold of him."

My heart was racing, but I remained still and silent, biting the hell out of my lip and bouncing my leg. "Will you call often?" I whispered desperately.

I didn't hear a response for several seconds.

"No," Alice answered softly. "I won't be able to. When I do call, it will be to tell you leave and where to go. My calls can't last for more than a few seconds. I am taking a huge risk right now, so be careful, and keep an eye on your phone at all times for me," she said. "You never know when I will be beeping in."

My heart nearly dropped. That was a very sad concept to deal with. I wouldn't be able to speak to Alice for more than a few seconds, let alone my mother or father.

But I stopped thinking about it, or I would begin to tear up.

"Alright," Jacob bid. "Good luck."

Alice sighed, "The same for you, Jacob. I love you both very much."

"We love you, too," I said stronger than most of my words.

She paused, "And, Nessie?"

My head shot up, "Yes?"

"Do what Jacob tells you to without question. He knows what's best for you."

I smiled a little, "I know that."

"Then that's all. Good luck and goodbye." I then heard her cut off and the dial tone fill the silent room. "Bye, Alice," I whispered into the nothingness, almost letting go of a tear.

But I blinked it back and turned to Jacob. "What now?"

Jacob had soon gotten very jumpy and almost angry with the new information. "We have to get out here," he said firmly. "Right now. Get your things." His strong face made my decision for me, and I then ran at the same time he did to get his bag, shoving all his stuff into it.

I had more things scattered, so Jacob followed me around while I finished up putting clothes and other neccesary things into my bags, and zipped them with shaky fingers.

Slinging one over each shoulder I turned to Jacob. "Ready?"

"Yes," she replied stoutly, taking one last sweeping look through the room to see if we left anything behind. He then began steering me out the room door, slamming the door shut, and looking both ways into the traffic hall like he was expecting danger.

Jacob kept his arm around me, tucking me into his side protectively the whole way down into the lobby. My hair was still pretty damp but I pulled it into a bun to avoid dripping water all over the place.

Jacob threw the room key and a little folded piece of paper onto the counter and hurried me out the door.

"What's the paper for?" I asked shakily.

"A note," Was all he said. He didn't tell me what kind, but that it was simply _a note_.

We stepped out into the hot and muggy morning and Jake continued to guide me all the way to the car and insisted on putting me into it, even buckling my seatbelt for me.

He was peeling out of the parking lot and onto the highway without seconds it seemed; meanwhile I gripped the edge of my seat sacredly. Not because of his driving, but because I was scared for our lives from this chaser. He was in Portland, but I know how fast a vampire can run, especially one with purpose...

We were speeding well along the thruway, when I finally spoke. The sound of motor accelerated past eighty filled my ears and most likely all the other drivers we passed.

"Jacob?" I whispered. "Are you alright?"

He waited a long moment before answering, "No, I'm not alright, Nessie."

I wouldn't be able to let him carry on like this for long.

"Is there anything I can do, Jake?" I asked. I really needed to comfort him, I just didn't know how. I usually knew what to do, but never when he was angry, seeing how I saw little anger in Jacob.

He shook his head, and spoke strongly and determinedly, "Just don't leave my sight, Nessie, from here on out. Can you promise to do that for me?"

I didn't even care what he was asking me, just as long as it pleased him.

"Yes, Jacob. Of course."

He didn't further speak, and so we drove in silence while my head spun with thoughts that made me more confused and irritated.

I hung my head at the end of the five minutes, and finally spoke, "I'm sorry."

Jacob looked surprised. "About what?"

I shrugged, sighing sullenly, "I'm sorry that protecting me is such a trouble. I don't like being a burden to you."

I heard the accelerator speed up even more. "Nessie?" he said angrily. I didn't move my head my staring at the ground in shame.

"Ness, look at me," he commanded in his alpha tone.

"_Look at me," _he repeated when I didn't obey.

I shuddered and gave in, looking into his deep, dark eyes that were filled with ferocity.

"You will _never_ be a _burden_ to me," he said. "Don't ever think like that." Alpha tone mixed with anger made for a terrifying sound.

"Then why are you so angry with me?" I whispered.

Jake's face melted softly and he reached over to brush my cheek. "I am not angry with _you_, Nessie, I could _never_ be angry with _you_," he replied.

"I'm pissed that the fucking Italian vampire-mafia is chasing you, and making you go through all this bullshit. That's what I'm angry at. Not you. Never you."

That warmed my heart enough to make it ache. I was dying to touch him, but I didn't think that was a good idea right now.

"Thanks, Jake," I breathed. "I appreciate that."

He grinned, "Sure, sure."

For another hour I thought I had gotten Jacob back into a better mood. I _had_ succeeded for a while, but that all went out the window when the phone suddenly rang, its sharp pieling filling the cabin.

I was the first to react, clambering to the cup holder and flipping the phone open.

"Alice?" I yelped.

"Yes, Nessie," she confirmed. "Let me speak to Jacob, please."

I handed the phone over to Jake without complaint. Except this time he kept the conversation just between him and her, so no speaker phone for me.

And what I mean by that all my success had gone out the window was that Jacob was soon growling into the phone.

"_I know that, Pixie_!" He grumbled into the phone, gripping the expensive plastic viciously. "_Don't think I don't_."

I watched in alarm as they fought over telephone lines, I couldn't hear Alice's responses, especially over the speeding accelerator and Jacob's extensive growling. I didn't like Jacob angry; his tone was making my toes curl. If he were commanding someone something right now in that voice, they would obey with a snap of his fingers, putting a foot rub on top of whatever they had to do. It was scary how alpha's work...

"Well, then, you _better_ keep a hold of it. No matter what it takes," he barked. "Even if Gorilla and the Empath have to hunt them down."

I could tell whatever Alice was explaining was aggravating him and I wished she stopped before Jacob exploded into a wolf in the driver's seat of a tiny Ferrari.

"I can only do one thing at a time, Pixie," Jacob spat. "Nessie _is_ my main priority; I won't stop until she is safe."

If we were in any other setting, that would have made my heart race. But his furiousness further supported my theory that I was a burden-it was just my sense of insecurity.

"WELL EXCUSE ME IF I CAN'T SEE THE FUCKING FUTURE!" He suddenly bellowed.

I jumped right out of my seat and shrieked, much to my surprise, but Jacob barely even notice over his own livid anger. I was breathing erratically, my heart pumping out of my chest.

Jacob was ready to pounce just the two feet away that he was.

"YEAH, I GET IT! GOODBYE!" He shouted derisively, almost crushing the phone shut and throwing it behind him. It hit the back window and bounced to somewhere behind his seat.

Jacob then pulled over to the next exit, which luckily was a rest stop.

I watched him in wholesome, pure fright as he quickly whipped into a parking spot and shut the engine off, leaving us in awkward, awful silence.

He laid his head against the steering wheel, his hands white-bones rigid on the wheel, gripping for dear life, he was radiating hate and anger over to me enough to make me want to leave. I so badly needed and wanted to comfort him, but I thought I moved a muscle he might phase. So I sat there, taut, not breathing, and definitely not speaking.

I thought that maybe I should leave for a minute. Pretend to use their bathroom, get us a drink or something to eat, just so I could give Jacob a moment to collect his thoughts and calm down.

"Jake, I'm going to step inside for a minute, okay?" I asked precariously.

But Jacob had other ideas.

"I thought I told you not to ever even try to leave my sight!" He shouted loudly, making me want to cover my ears. "I thought you promised me that! Didn't you!"

I shrunk into the seat in alarm, my shoulders tensing.

Jacob had never screamed at me. His tone was so alpha'd I wanted to beg for forgiveness.

He was glaring at me intensely. I hung my head low, unable to fight that feeling you get when you get screamed at. Its emotional fear, I guess. It could only compare it with rejection. You know that unstoppable crushing feeling? Well, that was what I felt when I got yelled at.

It was making me feel so awfully dreadful and I soon felt the tears brim up to my eyes. I wanted to hide it, but the more I tried the worse it became.

My breathing suddenly made a triple-hitch, and the tears accidentally unleashed themselves.

I felt all the tension in the car melt away with the inception of that sound.

"Nessie?" Jacob then asked urgently, now tender and caring from somewhere beside me. My hair was casting a dark curtain between us, and I was sitting against the window.

"Nessie? I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean that." I felt a warm hand try to pry mine ever-so gently from off my lap. He eventually managed to, and he held them in his, I still wouldn't face him.

"I'm so sorry, Ness," he said softly. "I was just angry. I didn't mean to direct it at you." He was practically begging.

Meanwhile, the tears trickled down my face.

"Oh, sweetheart, don't cry," he murmured, and scooted closer. I continued to cry, not replying to any of his words.

A moment went by before I felt his two warm hands wrap around my waist. He attempted to pull me, but I tried my best to push against him.

However, he was Jacob, much stronger than me and had more willpower at the moment than me. He tugged me and pulled me across the console until I was in his lap. I kept my eyes closed, but he held me tight, and rocked me almost like a baby.

"Shhh, Ness," he whispered in my ear. Kissing my hair, he laid his chin at the top of my head.

"Shh," he repeated softly. "Shh. Don't cry."

I was too afraid to speak, because I probably would have blubbered out any of my words. My emotions were running high, and I had gone my whole life thinking that Jake would never yell at me. The only thing that was keeping me from going down was that I was not the reason for his anger. I was crying because I couldn't stand him angry and hurt-it was like watching someone you loved suffer intense pain-you just couldn't take it.

Jacob held me for what seemed like forever, never letting go an inch, and kept me wrapped in his arms in his lap while I soaked his t-shirt with my tears, rocking me, murmuring apologies until I actually had to cover his mouth with my hand desperately.

He took that hand and kissed its palm, placing it on his hot cheek. "What can I do to make you forgive me, Ness?" he begged.

It took a long moment before I was ready to form words. "N-Nothing," I managed through the thickness of my crying. I was coming down from it, which was good.

"You-you- d-don't have to a-apologize," I wept. "It's oh-okay."

Jacob laid my head on his shoulder so he could see my face, but I kept my eyes shut.

"No, it's _not _okay, Nessie," he said. "I'm making you cry." I thought I heard his voice brake on the last word. "There's so much wrong with that you don't even know. It goes against everything I could possibly want."

It was good to hear that.

I nodded like a ragdoll, a fresh stream of warm tears making there way onto Jacob's shirt. I would never want to cry in front of him. Ever. But this was an exception-I had nowhere else to go but his arms.

The moments dribbled by as I stopped crying and began to feel less hurt by it all. Jacob didn't let me leave his arms whatsoever, not an inch, saying it was something he had to do. Hold me till I stopped crying. Like it was his job or something.

The subject of Leah crossed my mind then.

Best friends and lovers both needed a shoulder to cry on. Jake always seemed very keen on being my crying shoulder and best friend. I wonder how Leah coped with hurtful things that may have ever made her cry. Did Jacob ever hold her when she wept?

I felt even worse after mulling over Leah and Jacob, but not enough to cry again. It hadn't been enough for a while now. I was already dried out on that subject.

After a while, Jacob tucked a curl behind my ear. "I think you should get something to eat or drink now, alright?"

I nodded and finally opened my eyes. Everything was super bright and painful for a few seconds, but I soon saw Jacob's beautiful face inches from mine and he smiled warmly.

"Better now, are we?" he asked.

I made my best sum of a little smile. "A little." I yawned softly. "And a drink _does_ sound nice."

"Then let's go," he said, opening his door and helping my out, still holding me in the air and then setting me down safely on the pavement. He was very theatrical when it came to comforting me...

Jacob had a huge dark, wet spot on the chest of his shirt from my tears, but he didn't seem to mind. "I'm sorry about that," I said thickly, pointing to his front.

He shrugged, "Don't worry. I'm not."

"Are my eyes red and puffy?"

He nodded honestly and shooed it off. "Who cares what people think?"

I smiled and let him lead the way inside the building; however, he took my hand and pulled me along gently.

People stared awfully at us two like we were a couple of circus freaks.

Maybe it was because I had big, puffy eyes, and Jacob looked like he dumped a bucket of water on himself or because I had big, auburn curls and I was standing next to a six-foot seven man-boy. Take your pick...

In the end, I downed two giant water bottles and picked at a fast food cheeseburger. I wasn't that hungry. Just thirsty.

However, Jacob woofed down a few cokes and ate two whole cheeseburgers, fries, and then ate the rest of my food when I couldn't.

We hadn't eaten in a while.

By then my eyes were back to normal and Jacob's shirt was nearly dry. We were back in the car in a much better moods than before.

When we went to get back on the road, Jacob didn't let me sit in my seat alone. He actually had me sit on the corner of his and his lap, with my legs stretched out onto the passenger side, with his arm around me while he drove.

We played upbeat music softly in the background and rolled down the windows to let some easy air in.

I laid my head on his shoulder and could finally enjoy the warm proximity then. His scent, his voice, his warm, kind eyes...all of it. Jake was my perpetual ray of blissful sunshine.

And I knew then, that whatever Jacob and I went through, I would always love him ever-so dearly, and could never be anything except endlessly thankful to have him as my best friend, even if my love was in a different way. I would endure not being able to have that as long as I could just have him in my life, in one way or another.

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**_Chapter's Song: "Alice" -Avril Lavigne_**

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**AN: Vicious suburns, blurry eyes, tired legs, and pukey trashcans are what come from the fairgrounds. I had a great time with my friends and am not looking forward to working and acting like an adult again. Boy, wish I didn't have to...don't you wish we all could act like we were 12 and scream on rollercoasters again?**

**I hope you liked it, and weren't too intimidated by angry Jake. He means well and is only concerned for Nessie's safety. I love it when he always apologizes for his anger and consoles his love for his actions. Don't you just love Jacob? I do. **

**If you have any or thoughts you would like to submit, do so in a review or PM. I love your input and wish I could spend all day reading your reviews. See you Tuesday!**

**REVIEW! I love it!**


	17. San Francisco

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**_Chapter Seventeen: San Francisco_**

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_**AN: Is this what you've been waiting for? lol So, so sorry...enjoy!**_

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I fell asleep beside him in the Ferrari, and I was gently shaken awake a few hours later as we arrived in San Francisco.

I yawned quietly and sat up next to Jake. The whole left side of my body was flaming hot, my hair stuck to the side of my head.

I shook the curls out and smiled at Jake, "Good afternoon."

He smirked. "Decide to join the living, honey?"

I giggled tiredly at his purposely lame joke, "Yes." I looked around at the city scene before me, rubbing out my burry eyes.

"Wow," I murmured.

Now, I had seen pictures of San Francisco enough to generally know what it looked like; but I had never been anywhere south of Portland before in my life.

It was _so_ beautiful. And definitely not an exaggeration when it came to the hilly streets inside the city. As we scaled the city, my stomach would suddenly drop when we went down abruptly only to come right back up to do the same thing.

We passed millions of busy people and bustling street trolleys and my eyes followed every bit of excitement; I loved travel. I loved seeing new places and meeting new people, so in a way, I wasn't too unsettled with running away after all. Besides, I was with my Jacob.

Jake pulled into another Holiday Inn Express on the edge of the city. I was going to ask him why we kept going to this same brand of hotel; but I concluded that that's where Alice had scheduled Mr. & Mrs. Wolfe to stay.

And sure enough, when we checked in, our cheery-face receptionist congratulated us on our marriage. I gave Jacob a questioning look and I wrapped an arm around him and laid my head on his shoulder, standing up my tippy-toes to reach his height, giving the woman a little sense of us being together if it were.

When we got into the elevator with our entire luggage he immediately apologized.

"I'm sorry about that, Ness," he said sheepishly. "I forgot that Alice keeps checking us in advance as newlyweds."

I smiled, "Don't worry about it." I budged his ribs with my elbow and pretended to be look dreamily at him, "_Darling_."

He laughed at the tease and then our floor dinged.

"May I get the door for you, _Mrs. Wolfe_?" he asked, playing along.

I flipped my hair snobbishly, "You may."

"That was quite a drive wasn't it, sweetheart?"

I stuck my nose up, "Oh yes, the country club really needs to redecorate the slums. But the skyline is just _fabulous, _don't you think?"

We each snorted loudly, and in the middle of the hallway, we both laughed right out loud, the sound carrying out along the halls, and once inside the room, we happily went to work unpacking, setting a happy, joyous mood for us to follow in.

The room looked very much alike to the one in Sacramento, and so it easier to get unpacked, as well.

I took the bed by the window, as always, to ponder the view, and Jacob took the bed closer to the door for safety precautions.

I could sense a repetitive tradition in the making.

"Hey Jake," I called from the bathroom, putting all my bathroom necessities in place. "How long are we going to be in San Francisco?"

I heard the hotel phone click and be set back down on the receiver. "Umm, Alice said about three days here, and then we move to a different part of the city."

That was very reasonable. We had time to breathe now.

Jake had actually ordered a little room service for us while I put my things away and after unpacking we had a late lunch of chicken fingers and soda. We had been eating horribly these past several days, but I wouldn't complain.

However, among the confusions and travesties that came along with out situation, I did have one thing to complain about between us.

Jacob and I kept up our awkward, uncomfortable settings when it came to certain things. We were tensing at random motions and times, creating an awkward atmosphere in the room.

For example, after our late lunch we had sat down on the bed together, watching TV.

There was only one nightstand per bed, and the only one was on his side. So I leaned over to place my drink on the nightstand, climbing and stretching over Jake's lap to place it there. My heart raced a little at the close, uncomfortable approach.

But when I took my place back on Jake's other side, his face was bright pink.

"Umm, I think I'm going to jump in the shower, Ness," he excused awkwardly, abruptly getting out of the bed and hurrying towards the bathroom.

"Okay," I mumbled uselessly, seeing how a fraction of a second later he was locked inside the bathroom, followed by the cutting on of the shower.

I didn't get him sometimes.

But about ten minutes later he came out again, toweling his wet hair, in his pajamas pants.

It was very hard to stare at him in this state-but I did anyway.

Jacob was so tall and muscular, his broad chest and strong abdomen definitely prominent along with his wide shoulders and brawny-looking arms. His face was so attractive and masculine, too, leaving me breathless each time.

And it was very difficult not to become aroused when I took in the whole image. His face, his body, and the way his pants hugged him right at the hips casually, his body still slightly dripping from the water, it all made me cross my legs under the covers.

And even above all this—the sun was going down, the warm, buttery, orange rays casting a glow on his figure through the windows.

I sighed and bit my lip to quiet myself, and it didn't go unnoticed by Jacob.

"What's wrong, Ness?" He cocked his head to the side, "You seem...bothered."

I shrugged nonchalantly, not trusting my voice for it may have shown him hints of infliction, and I motioned for him to get back in bed with me. He obliged, and wrapped an arm around me.

I had to squeeze my things together when I came into contact with his extra hot skin, which was wet, and he smelled deliciously of a strong, woodsy scent.

But when this went over my mind, Jacob suddenly stiffened; his body tensing in synch with my thoughts, but he didn't move himself or me. I wondered why he did that, as well.

That night I had more hot dreams, starring Jacob and myself.

They left me wide awake in the middle of the night, sweaty and hot, my head swimming with visuals and feelings I could not put a lid on no matter how hard I tried. I was suffering with frustration; that's the best way I could possibly put it.

More sizzling make-out sessions on the forest floor filled my dreams until every dream I had for the following weeks seemed to top the previous night's.

After the designated three days Alice gave us, we moved across the city into another hotel. We hadn't spoken to her or any other family member, but we followed her every instruction, Jake maybe a little too much.

Once when I asked him if I could walk across the street into a little café while he was in the shower, I got an earful on how he was not going to let me out of his sight as long as he lived. So he kept the door cracked open when he took showers from now on as a safety precaution, adding onto my list of things that bothered me _in that way_.

But after we had settled into the second hotel, I had complained a little of being cooped up all the time, asking him if we could at least take a walk outside.

After lots of begging, and near groveling, he complied, saying something about how we needed more music if we were going to be on the road so much.

Whatever he needed to tell himself...

Together we walked down the sunny, midday streets, Jake keeping close contact with me, looking over his shoulder every now and then expectantly. I laughed and tugged him along.

First, we walked for quite a while, enjoying the fresh air and busy, city life. We made a trip down to the harbor and I marveled at it in awe. He chuckled after ten minutes of watching me with my mouth open, gazing at the picture and he then towed me along. I loved scenic marvels...who didn't?

A couple hours later we finally found a decent music store in a little strip mall in downtown San Francisco, it was closer to our original hotel, having seen it when we came through the first time.

"How about here?" I asked, pointing at _The San Fran Beats _music store. It looks pretty nice inside and Jacob soon agreed.

It was much larger than expected on the inside, and it was very neat and well designed, rows of music, CD's and other small items lined the walls and aisles.

It was like a pair of gay-hard-rockers came in and renovated. Queer-Eye-For-The-Indie-Guy. I snorted out loud for no apparent reason, to which Jake raises his eyebrows but I shrugged it off, and started to ponder through the music joyfully.

However, I kept getting strange looks from the people who walked in, mostly young men in their apparent twenties or late teens. They were dressed rather indie and came in to get their guitars fixed or a new album of their liking.

This one in particular, a blonde with tight, gray pants on, eyes had grown a liking to following me around the store.

In the end, Jacob had bought several hip-hop, rap, and rock CD's from artists I vaguely remember. I grabbed two from one's I liked, and kept scoping through the aisles until I found an oldies CD my father always enjoyed. Studying the back I saw that one of the songs was one he had covered himself on the piano and played to Bella quite often.

With a powerful sense of melancholy, I was hit the true force of how distant I was with my family. I wouldn't see them for god knows how long, traveling the highways of America. The only thought that kept me from getting teary-eyed was the realization that I would never be alone; not when I had Jacob.

I walked to the front of the store where Jacob was waiting to buy the CD's. I placed mine up on the counter and he began to pay the clerk.

I was internally debating whether or not to go back and grab this one CD I found in the Indie aisle. I was particularly drawn to its strange song titles and its androgynous-looking lead singer.

"Hey, Jake?"

"Yeah, Nessie?" he asked happily.

"I'll be right back, okay? I want to grab this other CD."

He pursed his lips, obviously disliking the concept of me even walking to the back of the store alone. But I chuckled at his torn face over such a simple task and walked away without more word.

Scanning the rows of cases and disks, I tried to locate the CD again.

When I finally caught a glimpse of its red front I grabbed it and began to walk away. But when I turned to leave, I was suddenly smack right into the one guy from before, the one whose eyes followed me around.

"Whoops." I yelped, bouncing off him. "Excuse me." I took a couple steps back and tried again, but this time he stepped in front of me.

"Sorry to be so frank," he said. He was thin and wiry, not much taller than me even. Eighteen, maybe?

"But I was wondering if you were available tonight?"

I cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

He didn't seem sheepsih at all to explain his theory. "Well, most girls who are hot as you aren't caught dead in a music store unless they're _looking_ eagerly for a musician for the evening," he mused, eyeing me head to toe. "I'm a drummer, by the way."

I took a step back and gave him a reproachful look at his coming on. "No, I'm not _looking_ for anybody. Now if you'll excuse me," I tried to push past him again but he grabbed my wrist mid-pass.

"Can I at least have a name?" His eyes glinted in a way I felt slightly nauseated by.

"No." I jerked my arm away successfully, and wandered towards the front, all the while the odd, drummer-boy stayed behind me. It was a long aisle, so he soon sped up and stepped in front of me again, making me halt.

He was grinning slightly, enjoying my agitation. "Listen, doll. Don't lead a boy on if you have no intentions of doing him."

I was beginning to get really pissed at this poser.

"I have no intentions of _anything_," I spat through gritted teeth. "Now _move_!"

The boy snickered, "You're cute when you're in denial." He took two steps too close until his face was inches away, and he placed a hand on my hip.

I shoved him away, but I was suddenly overwhelmed by the sudden change in the scene.

The sick, drummer-boy was suddenly crashing into a wall of CD's, his skinny figure invisible due to the now near seven-foot man with his hands around his neck.

I sighed, my heart still pounding. Thank god I had Jacob. Jake was grasping the kid's neck, his nose bleeding from Jake's punch. I didn't even have time to register a punch, and kid was glaring wildly in surprise.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!" Jake bellowed, shoving the kid onto the ground with such force, it was enough to put a whole through the wall.

"Jesus Christ man, what the fuck?" the yelled, his hand clamped to his face. I was surprised the boy was even conscious...

Jacob was growling loudly and I stared in shock. "You know the fuck what! If you ever place a hand on her-or any woman like that in general, I'm going to come back and cut your ball-"

"Jake!" I interfered stepping in between him and the boy. "Stop!" He would have killed the boy before he was able to finish his sentence.

Jacob was shaking with tremors of rage, but I put my hands on his chest. He immediately softened at my touch, his anger melting slightly. The shaking stopped at least.

"Just walk away," I advised. "Just walk away."

I pushed him gently along the aisle, not even turning to take a look at the drummer-boy, and I dragged him all the way towards the clerk, who was too doped up to even register what had happened.

Jacob was still fuming while I gathered the merchandise myself, taking Jacob's hand and pulling him out the door. I forgot to pay for the CD I went back for, and had shoved it into the bag like I had bought it. However, a second more delay and Jake would have killed that boy in an instant...

I strode erectly until the end of street as fast as I could, keeping a silent Jacob close behind.

But when I got down at the corner, I stopped all together and turned around and stared at Jacob questioningly in the face.

He glared back down, not in anger at me, obviously, but in hatred towards the boy who came onto me.

Jacob didn't say a thing, his cheek probably raw from him biting it, and he looked intently at the pavement.

When I spoke, my words were high with panic and adrenaline.

"Alright," I said loudly. "I know that protecting me is your job twenty-four-seven, but that doesn't let you pound any boy who makes a pass at me. I had it under control."

Jacob's eyes shot up to mine. "_Under control? _Nessie, that creep was laying his hands all over you."

His tone was ever-so caring. _Pissed_, but caring. I felt like he was going to explode from the tension, but I quickly felt a strong sense to comfort him.

I quieted my tone and I said calmly. "I know that, Jacob. But you could have seriously hurt him. Not that I wouldn't have enjoyed seeing his ass beat, but I don't want anybody hurt like that."

After a minute to see if he had nay more retorts, I took cautious steps forward and wrapped my arms around his mid-section.

"I'm sorry for making you react like that, Jake," I breathed, sighing into his shirt.

His stature softened and I felt a hand on the back of my hair, holding me there.

He exhaled normally, "I just don't like seeing you get hurt. No matter which way."

I smiled into his shirt's material. Even at a time like this, his words still played tricks on me.

"You have to trust me, Jacob," I nearly begged.

I knew exactly what Jake was going to say next, but I liked hearing his voice nonetheless. "I _do_ trust you, Nessie, I _do_. It's just those guys in the world I don't trust. The drummer boys, you know?"

I released him and looked back into his face. It was less angry, but still had traces of revulsion for the drummer-boy in there somewhere. "Yes, Jacob. I do know."

After a few moments, the constant ray of sunshine radiating over us was then covered by a wispy, puff cloud, and we had shade. It caused a stir between us and Jake then quickly took the CD bag from me, and stood next to me, shoulder-to-neck, seeing how in was so small compared to him.

"Let's go home, Nessie," he said tiredly. I knew he didn't mean _home_ _home_, but our new home, our hotel room.

We spent the rest of the night casually in the room, watching TV, and conversing small talk. I didn't like this side of our relationship-the one that was awkward and painful to endure. I longed to see Jacob smile again.

Any humor that was exchanged was dark, bland humor, and we watched bland shows, and we ate bland food for dinner. Room service again.

I felt more unsettled with each second-hand stroke that ticked by on the clock, which represented a whole new second without seeing his beautiful face grin, without hearing his infectious laugh.

But that night, he thankfully let me sleep in bed with him again. I climbed in and didn't bother with a goodnight, snuggling on his chest, but he wrapped his arms around me like it was any other night, and once again, fast, vivid dreams of Jacob and I somewhere else, kissing and holding, burned into my retna, leaving visual scars of what I wanted most dearly...

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**_Chapter's Song: "San Francisco" -Vanessa Carlton_**

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**AN: I greatly apologize for this chapter being SO LATE. My computer has been giving me a hard time, and my Internet is repeatedly being blocked from me, hindering me from posting anything. But I now know that the cause was that my sister keeps knocking over our server, putting out our Internet...silly chicklet. :)**

**REVIEW!**


	18. So Hot, I Can Barely Stop

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**_Chapter Eighteen: So Hot, I Can Barely Stop_**

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_**AN: My Internet has been killing me lately. It's been out all day, hindering me from posting anything. Anyway, here are some scenes I hope you really like. (hint hint) This one's rather long, so I hope it makes up for the wait. See you after the chapter!**_

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The next few days were much better, thankfully.

Jacob and I went out more, did more walking, and just had more fun, in general. It wasn't too tense after the drummer-boy incident, and when we went out, Jake would stay quiet on guys who eyes followed me, and wouldn't say anything to them or me. It was for my own satisfaction; that I knew.

I had talked him into eating healthier and out more often. We didn't go out to restaurants but we went through small cafes and diners, instead of bad breakfast food from the hotel, and greasy drive-thru.

However, even though we laughed and smiled more; sexual tension was driving me nuts.

There were times when we couldn't escape it. Like in the car or in the hotel room. There was no place to go and get under control.

You see, it was California. In June. So obviously, it was pretty hot. And it usually caused us to sweat, meaning clothing became a little scarce.

Especially over the following week, there was a bit of a heat wave going around, and so Jacob, being a near one-hundred-ten degree werewolf, didn't wear a shirt very often. Around our hotel rooms, in the driver's seat of the Ferrari, he simply took his shirt off, rolled down the windows, and sat there.

And it was one of the most torturous things I had ever experienced.

He was two feet away, hot, sweaty, sticky. His skin was glazed in a layer of moisture complimenting the tone of it. His muscles set the pace for the heat wave I was experiencing in my mind.

He flexed his muscles and they tightened and constricted, his bare chest and arms made my head swim. Meanwhile the constant gust of wind through the car windows blew his hair and made me shiver slightly, wishing I had that werewolf heat on me.

Looking good in his trademark jeans, his body was like a goldmine for my eyes to feast on. With a beautiful face, and killer abs, this man was torturing me.

The space between my legs was always throbbing, and my hot dreams didn't get any better.

And my cheeks were always pink from the lush of embarrassment. At first, Jake asked what I was always blushing about, but I passed it off as a side-affect of the heat. It was quite plausible and he bought it, making it easier for me to deal with it all.

By the middle of next week, we were headed to another city, but stopped in the middle of the night at a hotel and settled in, barely keeping our eyes open after a long day of driving, talking, and laughing enough to make our sides hurt.

And I now asked Jacob if we could get single beds now.

At first he said no, and went off on how I should start sleeping in my own bed. I begged a little, saying I couldn't sleep alone or I'd get nightmares. However, the nightmares sadly came even when Jacob's arms weren't wrapped around me.

But that argument threw him in and we were now in a single bed hotel room thanks to my very skilled talent for puppy-dog eyes.

"Goodnight, Jake," I whispered across the bed, curling around my cool pillow. It was far too hot to cuddle up next to him, but I remained rather close, my feet touching his legs at least.

I felt him get closer and something on my cheek. His lips against my skin were tantalizingly warm and soft.

"Goodnight, Nessie," he murmured, and my body was floored. "Sweet dreams, honey."

I fidgeted after he took his spot next to me. A split second was sensory overload was enough to make me dizzy.

"Thanks, Jake," I mumbled, trying to leep my composure. I had my back to him, but I was grinning like a fool, and fought the urge to touch my cheek where he kissed me.

However, I then simply curled up in my ball and closed my eyes happily, ready for bed, expecting hot dreams of my Jacob rubbing me down in the backseat of the Ferrari that were soon squashed.

Waking up from another Volturi nightmare, a nearly shrieked upon waking, grasping the sheets, heart pounding, and tears brimming up to my eyes.

I sobbed in the middle of the dark, waiting for Jacob to inevitably wake up and hold me. But he didn't wake up. My head was whirling after another scene of the Volturi, my family, and the wolves fighting in the forest. It always ended with someone dying, it changed every time, and the leader, Aro, laughing into the darkness in triumpth. Horrible, horrific dreams enough to make me not want to sleep ever again.

Patting the sheets next to me, Jacob wasn't even in bed. The sheets were cool and empty. And the room was in pitch darkness.

"Jacob?" I asked roughly.

I clambered over to his side if the bed and flicked on the lamp. The room was just the way we left it; the bathroom door was wide open and the light off.

Jacob wasn't even in the room at all.

My heart jumped to my throat and I bounced out of bed, my pulse racing. I ran into the bathroom to find it empty still, and the room itself showed no trace of him. I fought the urge to check under the bed, like in some messed up dream he was hiding under the bed.

The shades were closed, but even in the dim lighting, I could see the rain spraying against the window. A low rumble of thunder is what followed, but nothing out of hand, a light thunderstorm over the city.

However, my Jacob was _missing_! That was the only scary part of this!

I donned my sneakers, and threw on my jacket I pulled from the bottom of my bag, and looked around the room for the key.

I couldn't find it, even though Jacob always put the room key on the coffee table so he wouldn't lose it. It wasn't there.

But I didn't care; I walked straight out of the room and into the empty hallway. I didn't even look to see what time it was.

The corridors were completely bare as aside from the one maid who came along, disregarding I was even there and I soon found the elevator, tapping my foot urgently the ride down to the main floor.

I barreled out the front door, causing the fair-haired receptionist to yelp at the surprise. I shook it off and ran outside into the light rain.

It was slightly eerie, the parking lot at night.

Almost every space was full, the rain trickling against the siding and the windows. In the distance I hear the sounds of the freeway, and the city before me was still alive. With the parking lot as an acceptation.

I was out of breath, heart blowing out my chest, and I scanned the lot, trudging out into the cool evening air and the rain stuck to my face, I was still sweaty, though.

I couldn't even remember where we parked, so I circled the entire lot, my eyes nearly popping out in search of a blue Ferrari.

And in the last moments of hope, where I started to believe that Jacob completely left, I caught a stitch of cobalt in my peripheral. And sure enough, as I neared closer in the dark lot, I confirmed it was Bella's car.

Running towards the car, I realized that Jacob was inside; I could see his head over the top of the driver's seat.

The lights were off, the rain shrouded his figure from me, and top of that, there was…steam on the windows. It was strange, but I didn't look to much into it.

Tip-toeing along the sidewalk, I stopped about ten paces away and ducked behind a gray Sedan a couple cars away. I don't know why I did this—but from the looks of the scene before me I concluded I best be out of view.

Because something peculiar was happening in the driver's seat.

Jacob's head against the back of the seat, extended almost like he was in pain, looking up at the ceiling.

But even through the rain and the steam fogging up the windows, I could tell he wasn't in pain. The way he bit his lip, and his face scrunched up it was like he was….lusting over something.

My eyes followed down and I saw his arm and hand moving, sort of in an up and down motion. My stomach tightened in unknown anticipation, and my arousal flicked on like a switch.

I certainly had no right watching this! This was personal, I knew that!

But I liked it. Oh, how I liked watching this.

Jacob's beautiful face was in lust, the muscles in his neck and shoulder tensing over what he was doing. I didn't what exactly, I couldn't see anything below his waist, but I could gather the gist of it.

His arm sped up faster, and I could see the pleasure in Jake's face.

My own arousal was raging, painfully. I was rubbing my legs together, watching Jacob through half-lidded eyes. I wasn't going to be able to take this much longer.

Plus, I was squatted behind a Sedan in the middle of a parking lot. What the hell was I doing! This was crazy. I should've just turned around, ran back up to my room, and went back to bed.

But my sexual tensions told me otherwise.

A couple minutes later, the scene changed. His hand sped up even faster, his torso pushing the rest of his body upward towards the ceiling, and Jacob's other hand clutched at the door.

I strained my vampire hearing to get a "look" of what was happening. Small, quiet sounds escaped from his lips, spurring me even further right where I stood. I jumped when suddenly Jacob fisted the window. It wasn't enough to break it, but enough to get out some of the tension Jacob had building inside of him.

And only seconds later, I heard a low growl, followed by a loud moan, the sound making my ears melt and my heart nearly stop.

Moan? Did my Jacob just moan?

The sound carried out slightly beyond the car's windows, but only I could hear.

After several seconds of this, Jacob's body slackened, and he nearly fell back right into his seat. Gasping, Jacob's shoulders relaxed, and he slowly became normal again. His eyes were closed, through, his breathing getting back to its usual flow.

I found that I was gasping, too. And my legs were weak, my mind was swimming, and most of all, my underwear was slightly dampened.

Following the pattern of his breathing, I heard a sigh.

"Mmmm, Nessie," he murmured to himself pleasurably. "Nessie, I love you."

My eyes almost popped out of my skull. My heart jumped out of its cavity.

Whatever Jacob was doing just then was sexually related. To get out his lust.

But it was about me! He moaned my name and said he loved me! But it wasn't platonic, not at all. Who said they loved someone platonically when they got out their sexual frustrations with them in mind.

That was oddly invigorating, all-in-all, but how could he? He loved Leah! That should have been Leah's name he moaned, right?

I had no answers to these questions, but I knew they were nothing compared the interrogation I would get if Jacob caught me right now.

Before I knew I was bolting for the hotel entrance, booking it straight for the room.

I made it into the lobby, where the same fair-head woman watched me as though I were an axe-murderer.

I stopped for a split second only to gasp, "You don't say anything to the man I came here with!" The woman bobbed her head frightfully, and I then ran for the elevator, hoping she kept her promise and didn't say anything to Jacob when he came through again.

I slowed my breath, bouncing, waiting for the slow-ass elevator to come.

"Come on!" I nearly yelled, smacking the lights, and it suddenly dinged. I clambered into the cabin and rode it up to the third floor, emptying out into the dark corridor.

I was pumped with adrenaline, causing me to shove the door open with my vampire strength. It busted open, nearly taking it completely off its hinges. I stared at the door, half expecting it break off, but thankfully it didn't. Didn't need a key after all, huh?

I calmed my breath then. Jacob wouldn't find a thing out of place with me here in the room safe, obviously, nothing would seem out of balance.

The moments passed and I then took my wet close off slower than usual, testing out my composure.

I was fine now. My heart was alright, and my body wasn't shaking with adrenaline. I was fine. Looking at the clock on the nightstand, it was half-past two in the morning.

Sighing hollowly, I put on fresh pajamas and I shook my damp hair out with a towel from the bathroom. I was dry now, except for one thing.

I took my pants off again and put on a fresh pair of underwear. A ghost of arousal was still in my "place" and I tried my best to get the visual of Jacob pleasuring himself with me in mind out of my head.

But seriously, could you blame me?

When I was fully dressed and dry, and I tried my best to stay cool enough to climb back into bed, any minute Jake could've walked through that door. I shut off the lamp, and cuddled under the comforter, adrenaline slightly pulsing through my veins still.

I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath, trying to soften the muscles in my stomach from tensing with excitement. It was a wonder I managed to go to sleep that night; all the way, my dreams replayed that night's visuals torturously enough to make me want to cry from the _frustration_ it gave me.

However, this night my sleeping was particularly light.

Jacob came in sometime later, and I woke up, startled. But I didn't let it show, keeping my eyes closed and a sleeping jag going so he wouldn't know I was awake.

I could hear Jacob removing his wet clothes, but I didn't dare open my eyes. That was borderline stalker-pervert. I wouldn't do that. A couple minutes later, I could feel the bed move and Jacob got into it.

He the wrapped an arm around me and pulled me into the spoon of his body, and I was pleasantly surprised. Jacob kissed my cheek again before murmuring a goodnight and going to sleep.

I was grinning that night for hours, my mind swimming with scenes and visuals that I couldn't bridge up like a flood, they came pouring in. And I let myself enjoy them.

That next morning I was gently shaken awake, and I felt Jake's mouth at my ear.

"Wake up, Ness," he said, and I opened my eyes tiredly after a long night of fantasizing.

I yawned and sat up, Jake fully dressed and happy, and rubbed my eyes to get the sleep-haze out.

I smiled, "Morning, Jake."

The warm, buttery, morning sunshine leaked through the window, to reveal a calm day after the night's rain. Global warming was a cruel bitch, by the way.

Jacob had the TV going and at the foot of the bed was a tray of food.

I studied the dish before me, my stomach snarling with hunger.

Grabbing a piece of toast, I grinned at Jacob.

"Awww, thanks man. I'm starving." But the food blocked any other words from coming out, a piece of toast crust even falling out of my full mouth, my cheeks pushing out like a chipmunk with food.

Jacob laughed from beside me, nibbling on a piece of bacon. "Calm down, chief."

I smiled with my chipmunk face and continued to go to town on some eggs and juice.

"Did you sleep well?" Jacob asked.

My heart stopped suddenly as I remembered last night.

Oh my god, last night! Jacob in the car! The images quickly filled my head and my words came out uneven.

"Fine," I stuttered. "I woke up last night about two and you were gone." I kept my eyes averted to the TV screen and ate slower. "What's up with that?" I tried to keep my tone from getting suspicious, and nearly failed.

Jacob stiffened beside, and his tone was also uneasy and embarrassed.

"Oh yeah," he said. "I just stepped out for some fresh air, you know? Your healthy rampage is rubbing off on me." That was a lie; he hated health food and was definitely not looking for fresh air. "No biggie."

I nodded believably and sat back against the headboard.

"So," I said conversationally. "What's on the agenda for today, boss?"

He smiled and lay back next to me. "We have to be out by one and then we're on the road again. Alice said for us to head in the general direction of Los Angeles, but to take our time getting there."

I almost dropped my cup and spilled it all over us. "She _called_?"

Jacob suddenly looked a little sad and sheepish. "Yes," he admitted. "But only for five seconds to tell me that, honey. Don't be sad."

Too late. My eyebrows mashed together and I was stung a little.

"Its fine," I mumbled, and I turned my attention to the juice cup, counting its rings on the plastic, sipping from it carefully.

Jacob suddenly moved in closer, and kissed my cheek again, his lips warm and soft. "I'm sorry, Nessie." His breath was warm in my ear and my knees buckled. _Now_?

I turned my head and my face was inches from his. Our eyes had only for the others and I gulped at the sudden serious closeness.

We didn't speak, only gazed into each other's eyes. His were dark, sultry, and mysterious. His neck tendons tightening as my eyes razed over them. Jacob's warm and soft looking lips were only inches away; I could kiss him if I wanted to.

I should kiss him...

No, no I shouldn't!

I swallowed heavily, my eyes honing in on his pliable lips.

However, Jacob suddenly cleared his throat, and I jumped, taking a foot's distance from him and gluing my eyes to the TV, acting like nothing happened.

"Um Ness?" he asked.

"Hmm?" My eyes on the TV.

"I think you should get in the shower. We have to be out in a little while," he explained

I nodded hurriedly, "Sure, sure."

Gathering up my garbage I set the tray on the coffee table, slung my bag over my shoulder, and hurried into the bathroom to evade the unbearable, awkward atmosphere.

As soon I was behind the bathroom door, I slunk down to the floor, sighing shakily to calm my pulse. I nearly kissed Jacob back there! God, how bad I wanted it.

After a few minutes I stood up again, and with wobbly legs I turned on the water in the shower, stripped off, quickly getting under the warm spray and letting the comfortable water relax my tense muscles, sighing into the envelopment.

I took my time however, washing my hair with shampoo that reminded me painfully of home, and I wished I was awake for Alice's phone call. That really stung.

I washed my body carefully, and halfway through rinsing off, I got an idea.

If Jacob could…satisfy himself, why couldn't I? I fought against touching myself all this time…maybe I should give it a try?

However, I wasn't brave enough. About halfway down my stomach, I stopped my hand, it was borderline sordid what I was thinking of doing, and I quickly turned off the shower and stepped out into the cold air, my pulse racing again.

I dressed without thinking, because I would've thought things that would make me aroused or confused again, and slipped on my jeans and the orange t-shirt.

Toweling my hair, I walked outside to find Jacob completely dressed, his bags packed, and waiting for me.

He smiled and stood up. "Almost ready, Ness?"

I flipped my hair over upside down and shook it out. "Yes, Jake." When I was done, I flipped my hair and head upright again, to find Jacob's face slightly pink.

He looked around the room uneasily.

"I'll be just a minute," I said, gathering my things in the bathroom, brushing my teeth and hair, before zipping up all my belongings and meeting Jacob by the front door again.

I was fully dressed with my bags, and giddily pranced over to where Jake was standing.

"Let's get this show in the road, Santino!" I sang as he opened the door and let us out.

He laughed. "_Santino_? Where did that come from? Have you been watching WWE while I'm sleeping?"

I laughed, and pretended to put a finger at the corner of my mouth mischievously. "Maybe…just kidding, I saw a guy the other day at a café named Santino who reminded me of you."

"Really?"

"Yes. Except, he was short, scrawny, blond, ugly, and didn't look anything like you."

He laughed, "Then what made him make you think of me?"

I took a second to think of the most random thing. "His sense of modesty," I smiled.

He chuckled. "You are one strange child, you know that?" he asked, me following him towards the elevator.

I snickered as the elevator dinged and the door's opened. "Yes. But that's why you love me." We stepped into the cabin with another group of people.

"You got that right," he said, giving me a smirk that sent my pulse soaring before the doors closed and we had an audience to regard.

The rest of the day was fun, driving along the thru-ways, laughing and listening to music with Jake. We were great road-trip partners, we got along great, were both good with directions, and we timed our driving schedules quite nicely.

If it weren't only for the close, sexual tension driving us both bonkers, we would have had a great time. My cheeks were always pink, and my head was clouded and discombobulated.

We made into another city by four and settled into a hotel in a way, I found, almost like we had a system working unconsciously. We worked around each other in perfect harmony.

And like every time we settled into a hotel, we ate out at the nearest place. Which was a little diner two blocks away called _Sweet Sue's Shop-Stop._

_"_Try saying that five times fast, huh?" I said to Jake as we entered the cozy little nook and took out seats.

We shared each other's food and made fun of the other people quietly in our booth, almost like we were little kids. We both ordered coffee, even through I had a strong disliking for the crap and I forced it down manfully, adding almost a dozen sugar packets to make it bearable.

"Jeez, pink panther," he said pushing all my pink Sweet-and-Low packets int a pile. "Ease up on the sugar, or I'm gonna have to be there to catch it when your heart blows out of your chest," he teased.

I laughed heartily and tried my still-awful coffee again. Almost drinkable.

I like this side of us…

After we were done, we walked back to the hotel, taking in the scenes before us, however, enjoying the evening breeze.

Walking along the street in the middle of the city, Jacob randomly asked me, "Ness? How do you perform in front of hundreds of people?"

The question took my by surprise, after a few seconds of confusion, I answered it truthfully.

"Not without difficulty," I said. "It's embarrassing and nerve-racking, but in the end, I realize it's what I love."

Jacob nodded appreciably. "Do you get nervous? Because you didn't seem so bad back at the wedding."

I smiled to myself. He _was_ watching.

I sighed and explained, "Well, I usually focus on just one person out of crowd. That way, if I get too scared, I can look out into the crowd, find that person, and somehow everything's alright again. I imagine myself singing for them ans them only."

We were silent for a minute until he murmured, "Who were you thinking of back at the wedding?"

I stiffened a little, knowing it he was the asnwer. But I shook it off, smiled, and elbowed him in the arm, giving him a playful smirk.

He grinned and wrapped an arm around me. "Well," he said. "It's nice to know I'm appreciated."

I giggled and watched as his eyes twinkle under the moonlight.

"Of course, I appreciate you, Jake. You're my best friend." I looked into his eyes a little more intently, "There's no one else."

Jacob's eyes darkened and he smiled, "Thanks, Ness."

I responded with laying my head on his shoulder and sighing deeply into his delicious scent.

I was happy here. I could stay here forever. Just me and my hot werewolf.

I almost chuckled to myself, but it was true, Jacob's body ran at a toasty 108.9 and he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. And I still wasn't use to it, and especially not the people we walked passed who gave us double-glances.

And even in the heat of a California summer, I knew I'd take Jacob's warmth and love over anything else.

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**_Chapter's Song: "Hot" -Avril Lavigne_**

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_**AN: Please review, telling me what you thought if this last chapter. Did you like hot Jacob? Haha, or Masturbation-Jacob, if you like that better? **_

_**Anyway, we're just a chapter away from something...huge. Chapter nineteen's a cliff-hanger. Chapter twenty's big. I'm just letting you know. ;) Review, my loves!**_


	19. If You Only Knew

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**_Chapter Nineteen: If You Only Knew..._**

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_**AN: Here it is guys! This chapter is personally a favorite of mine. It was fun to write and I hope you like the cliff-hanger. Whoops! Said too much already...Enjoy...**_

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"Just stay right there, Ness," Jacob warned.

I sighed and sat down on the dirt boredly, pulling out some handfulls of the grass to pass the time by.

I was happy to see Jacob trying to communicate with the family, but did he have to do at the crack of dawn? I was exhausted that morning, Jacob waking me up, asking me if I would join him while he phased.

I agreed but had a hard time staying awake. I fell asleep on to the drive over here and when I woke up, we were suddenly stopped in front of a park.

"Come on, Nessie," Jacob said, smiling.

I returned the favor and followed him outside. The park was plain and simple, with a bunch of walkways and benches; however, we were looking for the edge of the park, where a little forest was. Plus, no one was at a park at 5 'o' clock in the morning.

Jacob and I walked into the brush, a good fifty paces, and then he turned around to face me.

"Alright," he said. "Sit right here, and I'll be back in a few minutes. I just want to see what the verdict is."

I nodded appreciably, "Sure, Jake." I smiled tiredly and yawned. "Maybe I'll just take a nap."

He smirked and gave me his jacket. It was a cold morning.

"Keep that warm for me," he winked, and I took it with a fluttered heart.

I sat down by a tree trunk, pulling the jacket over my long-sleeve shirt, with my back to where Jacob was stripping his clothes off. I left him be and sat there in the cool, morning air.

My hair was soon dampened from the foggy overcast, the skies a grayish blue. It reminded me heavily of home. But I didn't want to bring myself down so I pushed it out of my head and waited for Jacob to return.

He said everything was fine.

The wolf pack was going strong, my family was safe, and my parents missed me dearly. I expected that, obviously. It was just hard to be away from them so long without contact.

We drove back to the hotel and Jacob explained why he had to do that. I wasn't too pleased to hear about it, it made me think of losing him, but it was true.

Jacob had to phase to keep his youth. He was a werewolf. So if he goes without phasing for a considerable amount of time, he could begin aging again.

That made me feel a little empty, but he saw my sadness and assured me nothing would ever happen to him, I sighed and smiled, trying to push anything depressing from my mind.

We slept the rest of the morning and lazily lay around the hotel room watching TV together.

But, seriously, I couldn't have asked for a better next few days. I couldn't have spent a happier time with my Jacob than this; we were in the best of terms. We were still getting over the ghost of the drummer-boy incident, but we were having fun now it was all forgotten.

However, Tension _down there_ was raging high for me, but I was still focused on my best friend. I would just have to get over it no matter how painful it may be for me.

It was comfortable, though. That's the best way I could put for you. Comfortable, easy, relaxed. I was able to sleep, smile, laugh, and be at ease with Jacob. The worst periods of my life were times when we in a difficult situation, or when we weren't even seeing each other for days at a time.

Now, we basically lived together.

We moved to another city, another hotel, another custom ritual we shared whenever we entered a new city. Unpack, breathe, walk, eat, and sleep. It was not exactly boring, especially not with Jake, of course.

Alice called during the middle of the night, as I was told. And apparently, this road trip wasn't just west coast. She told us to keep going all the way as far as we needed to, when she directed us to, obviously. However, we had to stay close to a shoreline state in case we had to turn to water transportation if necessary to evade our hunters.

So, eventually I might see the east coast. That thought made this run with Jacob feel more like a vacation, even though I knew otherwise. There were times to be excited and times to be cautious.

Today was a vacation day.

We woke up when we felt like it-which was sadly and inevitably about noon. We ate downstairs in the breakfast hall, watched TV most of the day, and then when it came to about three 'o' clock, I asked Jake if we could take a drive around the city.

Eventually we came across a shopping mall. I've been dragged to plenty of these by Alice, but that was with different circumstances.

However, Jacob and I surprisingly found very fun places to go to.

We simply walked around the mall for the most part, pointing out comical sites and odd posters, having to say no ten-thousand times to the foreign women that represented a lotion company who insisted you try on their product no matter how much you didn't want to.

Jacob laughed at their bad English impersonations and he pulled me along absently.

I was bad at saying no to people.

Almost begging him to go into this store called _Hot Topic,_ I found some cool, funky things to try on and laugh at. Jacob almost teared-up from laughing so hard as I walked around the store in a Mad Hatter wig and top hat ensemble and asked a random boy to explain to me how a raven was like a writing desk.

I wouldn't have done that if I wasn't with Jacob.

I would have behaved myself, kept quiet, and followed Jake around like a puppy. Of course, that's also known as "not having fun" if I was Alice, Rosalie, or my grandparents. I don't feel the urge to be foolish around my parents, however.

Emmett, Jasper, and Jacob would understand the need to be silly sometimes. Hell, silly was Emmett's forte.

And I was proud of how much fun I was having.

After that we found a game store.

Now, when you place Jacob and me into our natural habitat, things go down in the PlayStation department.

We tried playing the display games and raked through the racks of games to see which ones we hadn't played, which wasn't much actually.

Growing up, I was rather reading, playing piano or singing, listening to music, talking with the family, dragged along by Alice, or kicking ass on Halo with Jacob.

After we left the mall, I was tired out with sore laughed-out cheeks.

I leaned up against Jacob as we drove back to the hotel, savoring his scent, warmth, and the overall closeness, and conked out with my mouth wide open. I could hear Jacob chuckling in my subconscious and he held me until we made it back and kissed my hair affectionately.

He then gently shook me awake when we were at the hotel.

I groaned in protest, giggling slightly.

"Can I just sleep here?" I asked. "I know we've only walked around a mall for a couple hours, but I'm beat."

Jacob gave me a comical look. "Didn't know I took that much out of you," he said. His tone had a certain quality of humor I didn't get. "But, no, you can't sleep here."

He tugged my arms up to get me out of the seat, but I jerked back, holding back a laugh, and laid back in my seat, leaving Jacob standing awkwardly in the parking lot.

He sighed and chuckled, "Alright, guess I'm just going to have to carry you in."

I widened my eyes, but before I could desperately move myself, I was suddenly up in the air, and I was bent over Jacob's shoulder, staring down at the pavement upside down.

"Jacob!" I exclaimed, laughing. "_Put_ _me_ _down_!"

I could tell he was grinning, "Nope. You said you were too tired to walk, Ness." I felt my face burn up as I noticed a family checking in was staring at us. "I'm carrying you."

Embarrassingly, I waved upside down at the group, earning a few chuckles from the studying family, laughing at myself, and Jacob still carried me in.

"Jake!" I managed, as the automatic doors opened for us. "All the blood is going to rush to my head!"

I definitely wasn't tired anymore.

By then we just entered the lobby of the hotel, to which he then slowly set me back on my feet, his face stuck in a vicious smile.

"Hey, I gotta do my job as alpha," he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "No pack member is left behind."

I shook my head back and forth, smirking. Taking several steps in front of him, I held out my arm directing him like a game show hostess. "Then lead the way, oh-all-mighty-alpha!"

Grinning, he broadened his shoulders, and pretended to act really tough, leading the way towards the elevator in a swaggery-strut. As he passed me he quickly reached up and flicked my nose with his pinched fingers.

I wriggled my nose from the sting of pain, groaned laughably, and followed him all the way and into the elevator, smirking playfully at him all the ride up, not saying anything due to the extra audience members in the cabin.

Once we emptied out on the second floor, I let Jake walk in front of me towards the room. I was contemplating a form of attack to get back at him.

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, I ran up to him, and leapt onto his back like a piggy-back.

He laughed loudly, "_Nessie_!"

"What? You said you'd help me out if I was tired," I reasoned, clutching my legs around the back of his wais, forcing him to keep walking towards the room.

He laughed and sighed, "God, Ness, you're gonna kill me one of these days."

"That's the pla-ann," I sang, watching from over his shoulder as he unlocked the door, and we entered the cool, quiet room.

Jake strode towards the bed, and then, without warning, flipped me over and slapped me down on the comforter. However, he didn't leave me be.

He jumped onto the bed, dragged me across the blanket, and started tickling my sides forcefully, me howling raucously with laughter.

"_Stop_!" I cried, thrashing around in his grip, my stomach and sides aching from the laughter, my cheeks so painfully sore from the smiling.

He sniggered and kept tickling until I felt my face turn beet red. He released me and sat back on his heels, smirking.

"Did that teach you a lesson not to mess with the big, bad wolf?"

I was still coming down from a laughing high, breathing heavily, sometimes even hitching from exertion, face pink.

"Sure, sure," I granted, rolling my eyes.

Both of us were on our backs next to each other, breathing heavily, looking at each other.

However, it soon turned to a self-conscious gaze. We both stopped laughing, and I felt like covering myself when I was being stared at like that, but I didn't really want to move anyway.

It was arousing me, too. His eyes were like dark chocolate pools that melted me where I sat. His jaw was sharp and strong, making me bite my lip. There was so much to enjoy while looking at his face.

To stop my _self _from throbbing or causing a disturbance, I fidgeted my legs, causing the gaze to break.

Jacob cleared his throat jumped up from the bed, and casually asked, "Do you want to get in the shower first, or do you want me to?" He ruffled his hair and started digging through his duffle bag.

I barely had time to register his first movement, but I sat up, a little stir-crazy and dizzy, and I shook my head dismissively, "You can go ahead, Jake."

He agreed and quickly showered and was only in the bathroom for a bout ten minutes overall. He stepped out pink-faced and allowed me to take a shower next.

Inside the bathroom, I sighed deeply.

When it came to Jacob and I, something was eventually going to ruin our relationship; it very might as well be the awkward tension we ritually experienced. Nothing else could be so damaging to our moods.

I stepped under the warm spray, my eyes tired, and I showered rather at a snail's pace, taking time to fully wash my hair and soak in my pomegranate body wash.

I brushed my teeth and hair meticulously and got ready for bed, re-packing my things even though I may not have to. I didn't know how long we'd be in this city, anyway.

Stepping out into the bedroom, I didn't know if we were over our awkward stare-down yet. Perhaps? Perhaps not? But as soon as I stepped out and set my bag down on the floor by the bed, I saw Jacob lying down with the TV on, and he turned and smiled at me.

"Hey," he said. "Comedy Central Presents is on."

I sighed with relief. We _were_ over it.

"Ooh, yay," I smiled and plopped next to him, laid down, and snuggled up into his side, to which he let me gain entrance to under his arm.

I pulled the covers up over us, secretly wanting to trap all his heat in with me selfishly. I was relaxed and happy, laughing along with the punch lines of the show with Jake.

Afterwards we watched a made-for-TV movie, both of us reaching exhaustion. I yawned and cuddled up closer as the movie wore on.

There was a little romance between the two main characters; however, the focal point of the movie was comedy. I liked movies like that. Comedy first, romance second. They were the best to me.

Nothing happened on screen, but I got the notion.

My mind went on, spurring fantasies for me, and I enjoyed them in Jacob's arms. I was glad there was no way for him to figure them all out. I dearly hoped that something wouldn't slip from my lips and I rat myself out.

So, I inconspicuously got closer, threading a leg through his like I usually did, my arms wrapping around him. I savored it when my hands couldn't reach around him fully much, and the feel of his sides, even through his t-shirt, was great.

I rested my head on his shoulder and delight in it right there.

My mind went on and on about Jacob and I being romantic. My imagination was a wild one, and I soon filled with visuals of kissing, hands running over our bodies, and hot, hot compromising positions.

However, I had many sweeter fantasies. And perhaps these one were more pleasing for me.

I pictured Jacob and I in the forest, sitting under a willow tree, watching the moonlight shine over the dark, leafy scene.

We were gazing at each other and the moon, smiling, his arms around me and our embrace tight.

The visual changed a little. I felt Jacob take his index finger and pull my chin up level to his face, staring me in the eyes eagerly. I bit my lip and leaned closed.

Jacob cupped my cheek with his hand, his thumb stroking the apple of my cheek and I sighed adoringly. I smiled and we both came closer and closer, our lips almost centimeters apart.

Suddenly, my real-life reality changed.

I left the atmosphere change before it really did; my senses sharper from the arousal of the fantasy.

I opened my eyes to see an empty space beside me.

Jacob was standing outside of the bed, several paces away, and his eyes sharp on me, his face scrunched up almost like he had been slapped.

He gawked at me suspiciously, breathing heavy, still as stone.

My eyes widened and were confused. "Jacob? What's wrong?" it panicked me what made him respond like that. What happened to him?

He was silent and stared still.

"_Jacob_?" I insisted.

It took almost a minute for Jacob to even open his mouth, to which his words were slow and strong.

And what came out made my heart drop to my stomach.

"_Nessie_?" he asked. "How long have you felt like that?"

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**_Chapter's Song: "If You Only Knew" -Shinedown_**

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**AN: Enjoy it? Hate it? Review and tell me your thoughts...**


	20. Cupid's Chokehold

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**_Chapter Twenty: Cupid's Chokehold_**

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_**AN: Here It Is...Hope You Love It!**_

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"_What_?" I asked in confusion.

Jacob's jaw was clenched taut. "I _said_, how long have you felt that way?"

My head was spinning. Why was he angry? Why was he saying this? I didn't say anything to him!

He sighed as he stared at my desperately confused face. "I _saw_ it, Nessie. I saw it," he said slowly.

If I was sick to my stomach, I would have hurled all over the place. Instead of vomit, my heart dropped to the pit of my gut and my arms and legs turned to noodles with the frightening reality of this moment.

_He saw it!_

No! No way! No freaking way! He couldn't have seen my fantasy! He couldn't have seen my most private thoughts! It was impossible, there's no way. That was in my head.

The only way he'd be able to see what was going on in my head was if it came…out my palms...Wait!

_My gift!_

It still worked? It hasn't worked since I was a little girl and I established my mind shield! Why would it return now?

I was speechless and sick. I didn't know what to say. What should I say?

It took me only five seconds to feel all these emotions and figure out my plan. Like what Emmett always said whenever he got cauhgt: 'When in it doubt—lie' …

I widened my eyes a little to look oblivious. "What are you talking about, Jake?"

His jaw became a little more rigid. "Don't play dumb with me, Nessie. I know you know what I saw."

My stomach turned to mushy butterflies. The alpha tone. His voice made my spine curdle and want to obey him—but I couldn't. I couldn't tell him the very thing I was preciously wanted to say secret.

"_I do_ _not_ _know_ _what_ _you_ _are_ _talking_ _about_," I persisted.

It took another minute for Jacob to calm down enough to look me calmly in the eye. For that duration I was frightened that he would phase in this hotel room, ruining me along with the interior.

But why was he so angry with me to begin with?

That stung more than if he would turn into a wolf right next to me. What did that say about us?

"Nessie," he said softly after a moment.

My eyes were brimming with tears. What if…he didn't love me?

Jacob sat down on the side of the bed. "Nessie, I need to know the truth."

I shook my head slowly from side to side, looking away from his beautiful face, blinking back the tears. I couldn't face him. He didn't love me. He loved Leah…

Somewhere I found my voice.

"No you don't," I said roughly. My voice was so heartbroken sounding it made me tear even more.

I felt Jacob come closer. "Oh, Ness," he murmured. "Honey, don't cry."

This was so awful! How could this happen? I thought this day would never come, and I think I'd pick Jacob never knowing my feelings for him over having him confront me about them. I wasn't ready for this…

"Jacob," I cried. "Then why are you so angry with me." I wiped the first tear away and kept my eyes averted from him.

I was shaking from nerves, and that probably came across as a jagging sob to Jacob, because I soon felt him warm arms come in from behind, his head rested on my shoulder.

Why was he being so affectionate?

Jacob sighed. "I'm not _angry_ with you, Nessie. I could never be angry with you." His face nuzzled into my neck, my arousal flared without my permission…but why the hell was he doing this? He's never done this before.

"How could I ever be angry with such a beautiful, loving, wonderful girl like you?"

What happened next stunned the hell out of me.

With each adjective of this statement, his laid a kiss up the base of my neck. I jumped, but Jacob kept me down in place, his lips on my skin tortuously.

"How can I not love you, Ness, enough to never be angry with you?" His tone was low and rough, and he laid another kiss at my neck.

My arousal was flaming high; I closed my wet eyes, and enjoyed it for a second.

"I was just surprised, that's all," he said finally, his arms tightening from behind me. I couldn't see his face, and I wondered what he looked like kissing my neck.

But…but it wasn't meant for me…

Jacob was supposed to be somewhere else, with some other girl at this moment. He should be doing this to his imprint.

I didn't know if it was possible or not. Maybe wolves could imprint on wolves. Regardless, I wasn't the one for him. And that made the tears brake loose and trail down my face.

This was wrong! I couldn't do this to her!

Next thing I knew I was standing up, on the other side of the room. My vampire speed allowed me to be near the door in two seconds, leaving Jacob still on the bed, looking around confusedly, his arms still up in the air.

"Jacob," I said loudly, wiping away my wet cheeks with the back of my hand. "How can you _do_ this to her?" I was getting angry now. Why did he have to rip my heart out everyday! Why did he have to make me suffer for him loving Leah!

Jacob's eyes widened. "Who?"

My hands clenched into fists at my sides.

"_Your imprint_!" I exclaimed. "_Her_!"

After a moment of dreadful silence, Jacob stood up from the bed and began to walk across the room. As he neared me, he held out his arms.

"Don't come any closer!" I said, my finger pointing right at him. "You're supposed to love her and her only, Jacob." I knew my words were the only truth. That was the cold, hard, awful truth of my life. He wasn't meant to love me…no matter how much I really needed him to.

Jacob looked like he had been slapped, but he stopped walking towards me and he put down his hands. He cocked his head to the side.

"But I do love _only _her," he said, and my heart shriveled up in its cavity, causing me to slink to the floor.

Jacob looked scared for me and he tried to come closer to comfort me, but I protested, the tears crashing down.

"So there _is_ an imprint," I whispered enough to be surprised if he heard it.

The room was silent for several seconds, the quiet pounding in my ears as I cried against my will. Jacob's shoulders narrowed and he looked at me concernedly.

"Yes, Nessie," he said finally. "There's always been an imprint."

That's when I began to sob quietly. I was sitting at the base of the door, my head in my hands, feeling my body turn into a weak ghost of what would have been a happy Nessie if I hadn't been born with a gift in the first place.

None of this would have happened if I didn't have that goddamn gift!

Jacob took small steps forward, to which I didn't even have the willpower to stop him now.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "It's not something I can control. If I could, I'd walk away right now and never look back."

With each syllable my soul was crushed under it. He didn't love me at all! I was keeping him here! Away from her! Away from his life! How could I have done that to him? I loved him enough to let him go…

That maybe wasn't true. God knew I loved him with all my heart. But I'd never be able to let him go. The saying 'if you love something, set it free' was not an act I was emotionally capable of.

Jacob spoke again, "If I could, I'd let you be." He was hurt. "I'd let you have _him_. Nothing would hurt me more than keeping you from him."

At first, I didn't understand. What did he mean by a _him_? It took my only three seconds for me to look up at his beautiful face in confusion.

"_Him_?"

Jacob nodded slowly.

"Embry."

My head was spinning. I was already sick, but that threw me in.

"Embry?" I asked. "Why would I want Embry?"

Jacob's eyebrows mashed together. He looked a little more inflicted now more than when I was crying.

But seriously! How could I want Embry? I mean he was a friend and I loved him, in that way. But it was nothing more platonic.

"You-you've always loved him, Nessie," Jacob stuttered perplexedly. "He's the reason why you're upset all the time, isn't he?"

He looked confident in his statement.

But I felt my legs go numb.

"No," I baffled. "No he isn't."

There was a split second of confused atmosphere while we stared at each other in unadulterated perplexity.

_"What?"_

The tone that came out of Jake's mouth was pure, stunned confusion. His eyes seemed to bug out of skull, his face set into a half-heated half-troubled front. He nearly jumped out of his bones.

"Nessie?" he asked hurried, tripping over his words. "Are you telling me….you have _no_ feelings for Embry?" His eyes had an intense fire, like he was wishing more than anything my answer would be a negative. But it was –_he_ knew it was.

"No," I said strongly. "I don't."

"_At all?"_

My mouth was slightly open, agape.

"Jacob," I firmly stated. "I _do_ _not_ want _Embry Call_."

Jacob's shoulder seemed to sink in-I had never seen him like this ever in my life.

"But-but, what about the wedding?" he asked. "You two were dancing. He was holding you very questionably, Nessie, like he wanted to be closer, _intimate_. He kissed your cheek in the end."

I shook my head slowly from side to side.

"You two have been flirting all this time," he accused. "He winks at you when he comes into the room, the football game." He was rambling.

My head was still shaking. "No, Jacob."

He looked so hurt and baffled. Like his whole life was spent thinking this. Maybe it had…maybe Jacob's been hurting over thinking I'm in love with Embry.

He plunked down in a chair like he had uneasy legs.

I felt like walking up to him, wrapping my arms around his torso, and holding him, reassuring my feelings. However, he wasn't off the hook yet.

I remembered Leah and him kissing with a surge of rage—all his pain thinking me and Embry were together hindered my first accusation.

"But what about you?" I asked, near-angry, not caring about his state.

I stood up and stomped to the other side of the room by the window. He eyes followed me and looked bewildered.

"What about me?"

My jaw was held taut.

"Oh, so now _you're_ going to dumb!"

Jacob stood up off his chair.

"What are you talking about?"

My blood was boiling. How could stand there and pretend!

"_Leah_!" I exclaimed. "_Goddamn_, fucking bitch _Leah Clearwater_!"

Jacob took a step back; he hadn't heard me swear like that before. But I didn't care, not if he didn't for me. I wanted to be angry.

I was breathing heavily and he was wide-eyed.

When he didn't respond, I continued to spew my hatred, "I saw you two that one day on your porch. You two were kissing! Remember! I ran! I went missing that day because I couldn't take you loving anyone else…besides me." My last words were quiet and broken, and I plopped down into the breakfast chair by the window, fresh tears coming about now.

The moments passed painfully slow. Jacob was staring blankly at me, while I stood there fuming. How could he keep doing this to me? I had to admit my feelings for him and he played dumb.

"Nessie," he said after about thirty heartbeats. "I do not love Leah."

His words were much softer. Softer than I've ever heard before.

"That day," he said. "Leah came over, crying about Sue." I near scoffed. Selfish Leah always trying to get her mother to herself, I bet she despises Charlie now.

"Nessie." Jacob paused. "Sue has cancer."

My heart dropped to the floor.

"It was diagnosed about two months ago. The wolf pack obviously knows. A secret like that can't stay secret for long with shared minds. Edward also knows, of course."

I felt horrible now.

I nearly groaned, remembering all my detestation disgorges about Leah, when all this time she's been hurting over her mother!

"Oh my god," I whispered.

Jacob nodded. "Charlie doesn't even know."

"Oh my god," I repeated.

Jacob looked intensely saddened. "Leah came over that day in hysterics from finding out. She kissed me, yes. But it was only because she was lonely. It wasn't because she has feelings for me. I don't have any for her, either."

It all made sense now...

"I felt so bad for her I didn't yell. She apologized afterwards, anyway, and we promised to never speak about it again." Jacob stepped forward. "I didn't know you saw that."

I was too frozen to move, but watched him with wet, blurry eyes.

Wrapping his warm arms around me, he was pulling me close. My hands thudded against his bare chest. "Jesus, Nessie, you broke your fucking hand over me? Because you thought I loved leah?"

I sniffled. "Sadly, yes." I flexed out my right hand on his chest, I took the little, black, velcro brace off last week.

"I'm so sorry I hurt you, Nessie," Jacob murmured after a moment of being perplexed.

I shook my head dismissively, "I'm fine."

"No you're not," he accused, holding me tighter.

I gave in and put my arms around him, too. I gave in because I wanted to. He didn't love Leah. I knew that now. I didn't love Embry. Jacob knew that now.

Several more tears trailed down my cheeks. I cried for Leah, someone I now pitied. I cried for Sue, who now was staring at cancer in the face. I cried for Embry, he may have wanted me. Lastly, I cried for Jacob, because I loved him so deeply, and I've been putting him through hell.

But something else caught me up.

"Jacob?" I asked, sniffling. "What about your imprint?" I pulled away slightly enough to look him in the face. "If it isn't Leah…then who is it?"

He looked torn to answer, and that was enough to make me weak again. What if it's a girl I've never met? What if Jacob imprinted on a complete stranger?...

"How can you not know?"was his reply. "All this time…" He actually chuckled, but it was more a tired sound.

When I looked up, his eyes were fixed on mine. A smile on his face, his eyes twinkling. A hand reached up and the fingers stroked my cheek.

"Nessie," he murmured. Before I could say anything his forehead rested against mine, his eyes and mine gazing, his darkening with desire.

I was puzzled at this motion. What did he mean?

He broke his gaze from me only to suddenly lean down and drag his nose and lips against the line of my jaw. I stifled a moan, and he continued down to the hollow base of my neck. I fought the urge to lace my fingers in his hair, keeping him prisoner there, but I found my voice then.

"Jacob?"

"Hmmm?" He muttered against my skin. With one particular kiss, I felt like my eyes would roll to the back of my head in pleasure. My arousal was simmering, my thighs pressed tightly together. Why was he doing this? It wasn't fair to me or his girl.

"_Who's_ _your_ _imprint_?" I spoke each word slowly, firmly, and carefully.

Suddenly, Jacob pulled away.

His eyes were intense, dark, and sultry staring right into mine. I felt prey, the hunter's eyes fixed on the prize. The way he looked at me made me blush and want to fidget.

But I didn't this time. I enjoyed the intensity of his eyes, and I dished it back, biting my lips.

Jacob's beautiful face was set into a front of yearning for something. I nearly yelped when I felt one of Jacob's hands go down and hug my waist; the other went up to the back of my neck, lacing into my hair.

His face was inches away, and I was longing for him to close the distance. I _needed_ him to close the distance.

He spoke two words only. And in those words, my world exploded into a million sparkling stars. My eyes were clouded with craving and my arms and legs turned to Jell-o.

"You, Renesmee," Jacob growled.

My breathing hitched.

"_You_ are my imprint."

I did not even have time to show any emotion, before I felt it.

Those warm, soft, amazing lips I have been dreaming about all my life were finally on mine. His mouth smashed mine in a state of intense want, the skin so warm and pliable I moaned softly.

At the sound, Jacob's hand tightened at my waist and neck. His lips held the firmness, and mine molded into them. My hand reached up and cupped either side of his face, my lips now holding there own.

Oh my god! It was happening! I was kissing Jacob Black!

He moved ours together in perfect motion, my arousal was throbbing, and his hands continued to grapple desperately at my body.

I almost moaned again into the kiss, my hands tight on his face. If it were up to me…I would have never let him go.

It was over too soon, however.

Jacob broke away, my lips feeling cold and lost without his, mine were still working and I heard a small chuckle. I opened my clouded eyes and saw him smiling.

We gazed at each other, him ecstatic, I happily confused. I blinked several times, having trouble believing this wasn't a dream…

His hand reached up to cup my face affectionately; all the while my willpower not to jump around in circles with joy was weakening. I was thrilled.

"I love you, Nessie," he said roughly, keeping my eyes fully aware or I would have closed them to enjoy the beauty of the moment. "I always have."

If Jacob wasn't holding me, I would dropped to the floor.

He loved me! He. Loved. Me.

I felt like crying again, but now with happiness, however I was too happy to do that. I was all dried out, I was ready to smile.

In which I did. I was beaming at him, pressing my body flush to his.

"More than a Quil and Claire?" I asked sarcastically, eyeing him with smirking humor, also eyeing those lips I wanted to kiss again.

I heard Jacob's throaty laugh echo in my ears. "Yes, Nessie," he said tenderly. "Most definitely, honey."

His thumbs stroked the apples of my cheeks, his eyes more happy, loving, and warm than I have ever seen. Today was full of firsts.

"Well, that's good," I grinned, putting my hands up onto his shoulder's, looking up to his face. "I love you, too."

Jacob looked into my eyes like I was the sun. More like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time. An artist witnessing a Leonardo Da Vinci painting discovery. Like an astronaut landing on the moon—you get the picture?

I didn't know when we moved from where we stood. It may have been hours, it may have been days. What was important was that we did, and that I had Jacob in my arms, saying he loved me.

Somewhere in the middle of the night, Jacob lifted me up into his arms, and softly lay me on the bed. He layed beside me, we both on our sides, and we gazed into each other's eyes, stroking each other's faces, holding hands and playing with our fingers for what seemed like an eternity.

When I felt a warm buttery light hit my face, I was too tired to keep my eyes open any longer. I had the most eventful, long night of my life.

Jacob understood, cuddled me closer into his arms, he kissed my hair, murmured an "I love you" and we both happily and beautifully went to sleep, basking in our adoration.

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**_Chapter's Song: "Cupid's Chokehold" -Gym Class Heroes_**

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**AN: So?...What Did You Think? :)**


	21. Heaven For The Weather

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**_Chapter Twenty-One: Heaven For The Weather_**

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_**AN: This definitely is a passer-by chapter. It just takes up the space before other better, more...**_**interesting **_**things to happen. It's still our favorite couple, so who can complain? Haha ;) Enjoy anyway. **_

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I awoke in a peaceful haze.

Happy feelings and smiles greeted me as I opened my eyes. Beside me, Jacob was still asleep, snoring lightly. I chuckled quietly, studying his beautiful, sleeping face.

I lightly ran my hand through his hair indulgently, in which I accidentally woke him up. I wanted him to sleep as long as he wanted, but I also wanted to see those eyes again. Hey, it was a tough bargain...

He opened his eyes, looking around confusedly for a split second before they settled on me, and his entire light up in a bright beam, his eyes twinkling.

We didn't say anything, simply and joyously gazing into each other's eyes, smiling sleepily. I stretched for a moment, making small sounds in my throat to which he chuckled and pulled me close to him.

I sighed into his shoulder, turning my face towards him I whispered, "Was that real?"

I knew he knew what I was talking about.

Last night. The best night of life. I kissed my Jacob, we bid our love for one another, I slept the most peaceful sleep I had ever had. Unlike my dreams, I actually had a beautiful man beside me in bed.

It _was_ real.

Jacob's hands tightened around my back and kissed the top of my head.

"Yes, Nessie," he exhaled happily. I just liked to hear it out of his mouth, really. "I can't believe it, either."

The day was so bright and lovely, the sun so bright and buttery. I was in a wonderful mood, obviously, having changed my whole life last night.

I smiled at him softly. "Are you ready to get up just yet?" I watched as he stretched and yawned tiredly.

"No," he laughed. "I just want to stay here…and enjoy." At the last statement I felt his arm cup my back and pull my flush against him; my hands thudded onto his chest.

I chuckled. "We have forever to enjoy, Jacob."

The truth of that reality overwhelmed me entirely, causing my heart to stop abruptly. Neither of us had to die-ever. What if I could spend the rest of eternity loving my wolf this way? The thought sent breathtaking chills up my spine.

Jacob grinned, "Oh, I know that." I laid my head on his chest against my hands. "That's why I want to have every single minute, Nessie."

I felt his lips on the top of my head and sighed into it. I was partial to staying in bed with him for the rest of my life.

However, there was a time and place for that. And that wasn't when we were in the middle of nowhere, running from vicious vampire hunters. It was the most inconvenient thing I have come in contact with yet, trying to be happy with Jake while trying to be rational about our survival.

Jacob made everything seem okay. I loved that—but in this case, we had to keep going, you know? We had to put our safety first.

"I know, Jacob," I said. "I do, too. But we have to get out of this city today and checkout is for one p.m." Turning around in his embrace, I peeked at the clock. It was a bit past eleven. I told him the time, to which he groaned comically.

I giggled, marveling at his face.

Jacob then sighed, "Let's just stay here for ten more minutes. Then we can get ready, okay?"

I nodded against his skin. "Yes, Jacob," I replied, already getting myself comfy next to him. I curled up into a ball against his front, my head resting on his shoulder. I could still his face perfectly, for he was on his side, too, holding me, placing his head softly on top of mine.

"Ten minutes?" I sighed.

"Ten minutes," he confirmed.

Well, it obviously wasn't ten minutes.

We both fell asleep softly beside one another. By the time I woke up, it was twelve-thirty, and Jacob was quietly snoring, comfortable gripping me close.

I took about another five seconds to enjoy this morning before I shook Jake awake, telling him the time, and comically trying to pull him off the bed without success.

But eventually, we both were rushing around the room in happy, hazy trances, smiling and winking as we past each other each time sending my heart into jittery flutters.

We just made it down into the lobby two minutes before our check out deadline. The receptionist gave Jacob appraising looks up and down right in front of me, checking him out. He didn't seem to notice, but it made me a little bothered.

However, when we were done, Jacob wrapped his arm around me, kissed my check, and pulled me outside in a slow, affectionate stroll, playing with my fingers as I placed my hand over his on my shoulder.

_That girl doesn't stand a chance_, went my ego. I felt that no one else besides me, and maybe Bella, understood Jacob. He wouldn't ever go for a complete stranger—it took him seven years to tell me he was my imprinter.

It was odd saying that, now.

When I heard the word _imprint, _Sam and Emily and their "mushy-romantic-hey-look-at-me" concept went through my head-but also little Claire and Quil, him playing peek-a-boo with her as a small child.

Jacob's love for me had altered over the years. If Sam had met Emily when she was younger, he would have waited patiently as her big brother figure. And one day, Quil and Claire will love each other romantically.

I never realized how alike Quil and Claire were to Jacob and I. I mean, the signs were always there, but I wasn't aware of the imprinting ability for our wolves. If I did, I would have been probably trying to play matchmaker for the whole wolf pack with complete strangers.

After the car was packed up again, Jacob and I quickly went to the Laundromat a few blocks away and washed all our clothes again. There was a Laundromat back in San Francisco we went to, and it was the first Laundromat I had ever been to.

So, for a newbie, it was fun and rather exciting to do my laundry this way.

Jacob chuckled as I did it all and made him sit by the wall in the hot plastic chairs. I liked doing things like this for him. I didn't know why, I just liked feeling useful.

Jacob was my wolf protector—I could at least do our laundry.

After that we were on the interstate, still headed towards Los Angeles. We were about a hundred miles away, but at least we had time and a motive. We had to keep moving.

Jacob didn't let me stay in my seat alone for long.

We didn't talk about last night and we didn't kiss again. I don't think we needed to do either to know we were on each other's mind. Jacob's eyes were dark and my face was pink—an obvious sign of desire to us both.

However, he did pull me beside him as we drove. Every now and then we'd pass a cop and I'd jump back in my seat, pretending to be sleeping against the window because I wasn't wearing a belt.

Jacob chuckled as I acted out a visual of me sleeping with my mouth open and hair scattered all over my face.

"He's gone, Ness," Jacob finally said after several seconds.

I'd then sit up and smile, taking my place back at Jake's side and we'd drive through hours of asphalt, playing music and speaking seldom, enjoying our company.

At a unneccesarily long red light, I found our bag of CD's Jacob threw behind his seat after the drummer-boy incident, and I brought it into the front seat with me, looking into the bag like it was a goodie-treasure.

Jacob told me I could play whatever I wanted, and so I picked the CD I went back for in the music store.

I read the back of the song names again, most of them sounded simple but also a little confusing. What's an Ether? Isn't that an organic compound? And what's Basbhat?

I didn't know—but I guess I'd find out.

They were called _The Audition_, and the first song started off with an intro bass guitar I enjoyed hearing it roll out, giving a nice feel for the music. And then the lead singer's intro began and I was surprised at its pitch, making me jump slightly.

It was good singing, though, very harmonious, even though his voice wasn't even that deep. But I was bobbing my head along to the beat, paying attention to the changes in tune. I really liked it.

However, Jacob was a little put off.

It was Indie rock, to which he usually called "emo-crap". But it wasn't even that "emo". It was like Indie-love songs...

He rolled his eyes as I hummed along, but let me be. Whenever I enjoyed something he rather disliked, he put aside his feelings and let me have the moment. Well, to be frank, all x amount of minutes it took to go through the CD.

By the end I felt relaxed and blissed out, even after hearing guitar solos and high singing over and over again.

But there was a slow song on the CD, to which I was caught by surprise it was so pretty sounding. It was very sweet, and the lyrics actually reminded me of Jacob.

I felt a little pink-faced as the words rolled by, paralleling to mine and Jacob's life.

The rest were mostly louder, faster songs that made me smile silently next to Jacob. I was a music hound, and I guess I just found my bone.

I almost laughed at what condition Jacob would be in if I played this CD everytime we drove in this car. It would take some begging and groveling-but that was something I was pretty much full-willing to do.

It was a beautiful California day. The weather was so amazing, I asked Jacob if I could hang out the window while he drove. He reluctantly let me, holding my feet as I laid my back against the door and pushed my head out into the bright, blue, sunny day the wind blowly my hair wildly around.

Heaven for the weather just got a new meaning...

For the rest of the day we drove, even after pitch darkness. Jacob told me curl up on the seat when he saw me yawn. I wanted to, but I didn't want to miss a single minute with him.

However, Jake said for me to go to bed, and that he'd park somewhere so he can sleep after he got past a certain checkpoint. Jacob's voice was already very soothing, so without further delay, I curled up in the Ferrari next to him, and when I woke up, it was morning again.

Jacob had been driving most of the night, and pulled over into an empty parking lot where we slept for a few hours. We had to make it to Los Angeles today, making us run on a tight schedule.

I stretched in the linited space a Ferrari can give you and Jacvob asked if I was hungry.

Indeed, my stomach was snarling savagely.

"Yes, please," I said roughly, my voice thick with sleep. At that moment, my stomach growled loudly, making embarrassing sounds.

Jacob laughed and my face turned a little pink, making my shoulders sink in slightly.

"Drive-thru it is," Jacob announced with a smile on his face. When he saw my red, embarrassed face, he reached over touched my cheek, winking.

My heart fluttered and soon forgot my name-especially some embarrassing stomach sounds and we pulled into a drive-thru where we ate awful, heavy food, but it became a life-style for us very quickly. I never complained, obviously.

By midday, we drove into Los Angeles.

And the huge, iconic _Hollywood _sign notifed me of our overwhelming distance from home. However, it was hard to frown while staring at palm trees. I was gawking at _everything _I possibly find, including the skyline that literally took my breath away.

I was going to love L.A.

Finding a hotel wasn't hard, and neither was the haul, moving all of our stuff up into our room.

What was hard was the tension we suddenly got away from the car. I mean, it was raging for me a couple times in that close, cozy cabin, but in a widespaced room, with a bed and a shower, it was difficult not to be awkward at some points.

The room was gorgeous, and I got a view of a busy, bustling highway, the cars looking more like little bugs on asphalt than a major roadway.

We unpacked, settled in, and ordered chinese take-out from down the block, unwinding on the bed. Together we picked at each other's take-out containers with chopsticks, in the end, fighting comically over the last wonton.

It was more of a chopstick battle to the death to see who could spear it and get it into their mouths first.

I triumphantly won and chewed the flaky wonton right in his face, smacking my lips and licking my fingers to which he pretened to look crushed and defeated, settling for some lo-mein.

After that we took turns in the shower.

I went first, hurrying up so I could go to bed, and was soon out in my comfy pajamas, my hair damp and cool and told Jake the bathroom was free.

However, when he came out of showers, he was always steaming hot, the fluffs of steam literally still coming off his skin.

It was hot and wet to the touch and most of the time he was shirtless while he slept, driving me wild. As he shook out his hair with a towel a few feet away from me, he pushed his scent towards me, also letting me see his glorious chest and abs while his eyes were covered by a towel.

I was stir-crazy, biting the corner of my lip from the eye-teaser. My stomach was in tight knots from the anticipation for something I still couldn't find.

When Jacob was done, he threw the towel towards the coffee table, walking towards me in his well-fitted sweatpants. He winked at me, climbing next to me in bed, and tugging the covers over us. Immedately pulling me against him, my arousal flared at the touch of his damp, hot, bare skin on me. I tried to rub my thighs to create some friction as inconspiculously as possible.

"Are you feeling okay, Nessie?" Jacob asked after a minute, turning off the TV and rolling onto his side. The dim lamp was our only light source then. It was more a mood-lighting, not helping my arousal for him.

I widened my eyes. "Yeah, Jake. Why you ask?"

He shook his head, "No reason, just wondering, really. We're usually chatting till dawn, honey." He laughed and ruffled my hair. Well, if he was me, he'd be speechless with the perfection of his body.

I smiled. "Hmm, just tired, I guess. It's been a long couple days."

Jacob playfully frowned. "Well, that's too bad." I felt his hand stroke my spine. "I wanted to try something."

The way he was looking at me, sent me bezerk. I felt dizzy with his eyes and I stuttered, "W-what do you mean?"

Jacob was silent for a moment, looking into my eyes. He cupped my cheek after that, appearing torn over something. Looking into my eyes, he asked, "Can I kiss you again, Nessie?"

That took me by surprise. Jacob shouldn't have to ask. I was still very new so I couldn't call the kissing shots.

But I grinned, "Of course, Jacob. You don't need permission."

He looked a little sheepish. "Well, I was trying to be good," he winked.

I didn't say anymore, my smile melting into a front of intense want. I really needed him to kiss me again. Those lips have been torturing me _all _day!

Jacob held my face, keeping eye conact, and pulled me closer and closer, meanwhile my heart beat faster wiht every gained inch.

Our lips met-and I was floored.

My blood seemed to boil under my skin, buy I tried to be good and not attack him with my mouth. His lips were always so warm and soft, also leaving me with a delicious taste I couldn't put my finger on.

My hands gripped at his sides, and I kissed him back, ever-so softly moaning into the kiss. He complied the kiss, moving our lips in perfect motion and timing.

Jacob was also gripping me close, and he growled low as I made that soft moan, making me do it again. He was _so good _at this, it wasn't fair!

It was going slow, which I admired, but I wanted to keep kissing him until I couldn't feel my face.

So, naturally, it was over too soon and I wanted to keep kissing him. I just _loved _kissing jacob.

When he pulled away, he smiled at me.

I suddenly noticed I was breathing heavy, and I laughed. "Sorry."

Jacob chuckled, "Well, someone's enthusastic." He grinned and put his forehead against mine.

Oh god, how I wanted to keep kissing those lips. Those amazing, pliable, wonderful lips on mine, making my head spin and the room whirl.

I was still recovering after several minutes.

After a while, Jacob lifted my chin level to his face. I was half-expecting another kiss, but he spoke instead. "I think its time we went to bed. You look exhausted, honey," he said. I could barely keep my eyes open, but I didn't want to skip a single second with him.

"Okay," I sighed, still slightly dizzy from the kissing.

Jacob smiled and turned around, flicking off the lamp and taking his place as my blanket, wrapping his arms affectionately around me.

Sighing, I curled up, but needed to do something before I could even think of sleeping.

He wasn't hard to fine in the darkness, but I knew where his face was. Straining my neck to reach his face, I slowly, softly, tenderly placed a kiss on his unsuspecting lips.

"I love you, Jacob," I murmured against them.

Placing a hand on my cheek, Jacob kissed the same way back. It was a hot, loving kiss, making my stomach squirm pleasantly.

"As I love you, Nessie," he sighed, and my stomach did another flip.

I exhaled happily and closed my eyes, my head swirling with joyous thoughts. "Goodnight, my Jacob."

"Night, Ness," Jake whispered and before I knew it, I heard his quiet snore from above me, and I quickly followed suit, dreaming of warm, loving moments with my wolf.

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**_Chapter's Song: "Heaven For The Weather" -The Audition._**

**_*I absolutely LOVE this band. I love the sound, I love the lyrics, I think they pretty much sum up my Nessie. So many of their songs have inspired scenes for this story, and several chapter titles are of courtesy to them. I hope you listen to their songs and like them, too! :)_**

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**AN: So tell me: What would _you _like to see happen next? :) Review!**


	22. Sweet Disposition

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**_Chapter Twenty-Two: Sweet Disposition_**

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**_AN: __First off, the reason why I didn't update on Tuesday was because of the chapter timing schedule. I kind of just skipped the Tuesday update and posted that chapter today because I wanted to give you two chapters this up-coming Tuesday because….I am taking a little vacation before school. And because I need some time to get the flow of my new classes. Don't worry, it won't be long, I'll most likely update again on the 14th of September. Yes, I know that is very, very long to a lot of you and I might have to dodge a few verbal assaults. Lol I hope not :P. However, I will make these next three chapters chock-full of extra Jacob and Nessie deliciousness for you guys, because I love you all. How couldn't I? So today, and two chapters on Tuesday. Are you okay with this, huns?_**

**_Secondly, I want to thank PattyHeartCake for giving me a good idea for this chapter. She's a sweetheart and is always giving me great, constructive feedback, as do you all out there!_**

**_Thirdly, enjoy this chapter! It's a really long (second longest by like two hundred words) and really fun one that I hope you like!_**

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"Wake up, Ness," an angel whispered into my ear.

I smiled with the sound. Like butter, that sound was. The most beautiful, enchanting, hypnotic sound in the world that belonged to the most beautiful, enchanting, hypnotic man in the world.

My Jacob.

I could feel him sitting next to me on the bed; his face was next to mine. I didn't open my eyes just yet, for I wanted to savor the utter blissful relaxation I felt.

I had my face down into my pillow, but I couldn't deny the heat that radiated from Jacob beside me. It was enough to not need a big, puffy comforter anymore.

Yawning, I opened my eyes, rubbing them slightly, and turned around to see Jacob sitting there, fully dressed with his hair dampened.

"Do I have to throw you over my shoulder again to get you up?" he waggles his eyebrows mischievously. No doubt he'd do it…

My eyes widened and I'm then sitting straight up, the blood rushing from my head, I feel a quick ache and a shimmer of vertigo. I laugh anyway, and shove his shoulder.

"I'm up," I say thickly. Throwing the comforter off myself, I stand up on wobbly legs. I wonder how long I had been sleeping. When I asked Jacob, he looked a little sheepish.

"Well," he said. "I wanted you to sleep as long as you needed to."

Checking the clock, it was almost noon. I had slept for thirteen hours. I usually didn't sleep that long and I gave Jacob a wide look.

I laughed, "I don't need that much sleep."

He shrugged guiltily, "I was just looking out for you, Ness."

"Thanks, Jeeves," I said sarcastically.

He laughed and slowly bowed, "Thank you for recognizing my work."

I shook my head from side to side, smiling at my wolf. What a goofball. I didn't buy what people usually said, that he was trying to impress me. Jacob had always been like this. A beautiful goofball. But hey, he was _my_ beautiful goofball.

I stretched up on my tippy-toes and sighed, feeling my muscles relax, I also yawned again. Sleeping so long made me feel sluggish.

"So," I started, clapping my hands together eagerly. "What's on the agenda for today?"

Jacob stood up, too, and shut off my bedside lamp, seeing how unnecessary it was during the bright California sunshine. He walks over to me, the wide open curtains letting the buttery sunlight flood in, and it radiated behind him.

How ironic, right?

Jacob was slow to answer my nonchalant inquiry. He stood there, biting the inside of his cheek. His eyebrows were mashed together and I stood there expectantly for several seconds.

"I was thinking," he said slowly. "That maybe we… could go…to the beach today?"

That caught me off guard, but immediately made me smile. Jacob wanted to go to the beach? I mean, Jacob loved travel and fun as much as I did, I just would have never thought under these circumstances we have been under that he'd like to "expose" ourselves to the public.

"To the beach?" I asked.

He nodded.

I smiled, "Yeah." The idea was looking better and better to me. "Absolutely."

I was soon excited like a little kid on Christmas. The only beaches I had been to in my life so far were the ones in La Push. Don't get me wrong, I love La Push beach. But it definitely wasn't like the California beaches. These beaches were hot, dry, sunny, and most of all, very busy with gorgeous California residents.

The people here, I noticed, seemed to ooze attractiveness. However, I could tell a fake-tan from a real tan, real breasts from fake, and also botoxed faces.

Nonetheless, most of the people were beautiful.

Just not enough to compete with my Jacob, you see.

"You sure?" he asked.

I felt my face scrunch up in confusion, but still smiling. "Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

Jacob sighed, "I don't know." I gave him a appraising, tough guy look. He laughed at my face and said, "Alright. I was asking because I didn't know if you wanted to be around that many people."

At first, that didn't make sense. But on the second mull I got it. I was used to being around my family, the wolf pack, and especially Jacob. I have been around a lot more people lately than when I was back home, but I didn't bother me. I loved new people.

"I do," I reply. I decided to lighten the mood with humor. "I thought you told me I shouldn't be scared." I nudged his arm. "Especially when I was with the big, bag wolf."

He chuckled, "Nice, Ness."

I smiled, "I'm serious, though. I love meeting new people, it doesn't scare me. People are great, I just don't like when some of those guys…" I was searching for right word.

"Hit on you," Jacob finished.

Blushing, I nodded, "Yup."

I decided to take the two steps distance between us and slip my hand into his. His hand was rough and warm, like always. "I'm fine, Jacob. You have nothing to worry about. Whatever it is, it doesn't really bother me. I have you. I feel safe."

Not meaning to make a light moment serious, I did anyway. Jacob nodded appreciably. "Alright, Nessie."

After a moment I knew the conversation was over. "Okay, I'll get in the shower, and then we can go, right?" I smiled warmly to break the awkward silence.

"Okay," he agreed, smiling back.

I then turned around, headed for the bathroom door. I was just about to put my hand on the doorknob, when another stopped me, spun my around by the shoulders, and I was face-to-face with Jacob again.

"You forgot something," he mumbled, I could feel his breath on my lips.

_Close the distance, close the distance, please! _I begged internally.

Before I could beg any further, those warm, soft, lips were on mine. It was a tender, endearing kiss. Not applying too much pressure, but leaving a lasting impression. His lips were so pliable, and had the ability to collapse like marshmallows under mine.

All I could say—is that it _so_ good.

And it was over too quick.

The kiss was over before I could have the chance to melt in his embrace. However, it was enough to make me hot again, my desire smoldering under a low flame.

I sighed happily, though, and opened my blurry eyes to see Jacob was a smug smirk on his face.

"That's all," he said, giving me a striking wink.

I smiled and silently turned around and slipped into the bathroom. If I opened my mouth, a girlish squeal may have emitted from me. And that wasn't very attractive.

Instead, I put my back against the wall, and breathed deeply, a smile tiring out my cheeks. I relished the kiss in my mind, my imagination running a little further.

The only thing that kept me from staying there all day, reminiscing my memories, but Jacob was waiting. We were going to the beach.

I showered on a drunken haze, my legs and arms not as aware as my mind was. As you could imagine, my thoughts were a little clouded. When I was done, I brushed my teeth and hair meticulously, attacking my messy curls with a paddle brush until it lay in a soft, smooth, dark auburn wave.

I suddenly remembered that I left my bag right outside the door.

Wrapped in a towel, I got down on my knees, and cracked the door open enough to push my arm outside. I wasn't able to see where it was exactly, my head turned to the side.

My hand and arm patted down the carpeted surface, searching for the duffle bag. I heard a snicker from somewhere in the room and then the bag was suddenly in my hand. I held back a chuckle, gave Jacob a thumb's up, which I hoped he got and I pulled the bag inside the bathroom and got dressed hurriedly.

I dressed in the smallest, lightest things Alice had packed for me.

It was about eighty-degrees out today with a blazing sun, so I put on my light wash shorts and my white tee, tying my hair up into a messy bun, my bangs hanging out on either side of my face. It was sufficient.

Jacob was sitting causally on the corner of the bed, remote in hand, watching TV while I got ready. I said his name, to which he jumped and smiled.

He flicked off the TV and stood up. "Ready?"

"Yep," I said, slipping on my sneakers and checking myself in the mirror again.

Jacob took my hand. "You look beautiful, Nessie," he chuckled, tugging me away from the mirror. He locked the door and we stepped out into the cool, air conditioned hallway.

"I hope you like boardwalk food, by the way," Jacob added.

The beach was amazing.

It was bright and loud and busy with life and people. The boardwalk was so long, stretching from end to end of the beach, it seemed. Little businesses, shops, and food stops lined along the way, paving the tone for what lay beside it.

The Pacific Ocean was a spectacular thing.

The water ever-so blue, the golden sand looking warm and rough and I ached to be near it all.

Thousands of people seemed to vent in and out of the beach, some walking along the boardwalk, some lounging on the beach. At the very of the line in front of me, probably about three miles way, was a Ferris Wheel and other small roller coasters.

"How about something to eat?" Jacob asked first after we were parked and had walked across the entrance, a wooden walkway entering towards all this beautiful chaos.

"Sure," I said excitedly. Where would I start?

We went all out. Walking down the boardwalk, the sun beating down, we soon were parched and starved.

Visiting several different places, we had hamburgers, two orders of French fries, a chicken spiedie for me, a hot sausage for Jacob, pizza, and we gulped down two lemonades each to chase it all down.

After that, I plopped down on a lone bench, clutching my stomach.

"You should have went easy on me Jacob," I laughed, my breathing heavy from the food. "I'm a newbie."

He chuckled, sitting down next to me, and rubbing him stomach generously. The heat wasn't helping my distress, also.

It was all _so_ good. And it was all _so_ much.

Jacob softly patted my back. "Let's just let it all settle."

I definitely didn't disagree, sitting back into my seat, breathing deeply. I was aching and feeling like I was about to puke.

However, I somehow managed to digest all that food and the stomach ache had receded. Jacob was better at stuffing himself than I was, so he was ready to keep going before I was.

I stood up and tested out my ability to walk. It was still intact and I was feeling better.

I turned to Jacob, who was waiting patiently for me by the edge of the boardwalk where the sand began.

"You ready?" I asked, taking his warm hand, enjoying the fact I could hold his hand in public, and led us out onto the sand.

He nodded, "Yeah. Do you want to burn some of those calories off? I don't know how many hours of vigorous exercise we might need to get rid of that overload, but I think a volleyball game might make us feel a little less guilty."

My sneakered feet kept sinking into the sand, so it was more of trudge than a walk. I was soon laughing at myself, trying to get towards the front of the beach.

At Jacob's proposition, I looked up to see what he was taking about.

Ahead of us, a group of people, probably college-age kids were setting up shop for a volleyball game right down by the shore.

The water was so beautifully blue, I felt jealous of the tide. I would love to swim in it, but I didn't think Jacob would approve. The rate of shark attacks I guess were rising-he'd use any excuse.

But we neared the group of laughing people, and Jacob gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Hey!" Jacob called. Some of the members turned to us. "You guys need a couple more players?"

A young man with spiky blonde hair I guess was the group mouthpiece. "Yeah," he said. "We could actually. Thanks, man."

The boy was wearing negative-light reflecting sunglasses, was shirtless, and somehow managed to gain the ogles of all his female counterparts. I didn't find him very handsome, but he was looking interestingly at me.

Jacob turned to me and winked, "You like volleyball, right?" he looked a little scared for minute, probably not wanting to make me feel uncomfortable.

I chuckled, "No. I love volleyball. Let's get this started." I tried to look as tough as possible, to which it gained another snicker from Jacob.

Jacob then suddenly shed his shirt. It was a thin, gray tee but the way it was so sudden, and the way it exposed all of his dark, lightly sweated, muscled body made my arousal flame up.

I had to be focused. Or I'd be falling over on the volleyball field.

There were a total of ten people, five on each side. Most were guys, with the exception of four girls, that including me.

The blond boy turned around again. "How about you go on their team," he said to Jacob. "And you can be on mine," he said to me flirtatiously.

I thought I heard a low growl, but I smiled and nudged Jacob's side.

"Cool," I commented, following the blonde boy over to our side of the net. Jacob was left front on the other side, and I gave him a kind and reassuring look. How could I possible be hurt by playing human volleyball?

"I'm Renaldo," the boy said, extending his hand.

I took it, "Vanessa. That's Jacob."

"Awesome, where you from?"

What was with the twenty questions, man? I answered anyway, "Hawaii. We're on vacation."

"Alright," another guy announced. "Play to ten points, red team starts. Go!"

Suddenly the ball was in the air on my side. However it wasn't headed towards me. The front right guy caught it just in time before it could make it back to Renaldo, and hit it back generously.

I watched as it soared into the red team's side, but it didn't get us a point by flying right over everyone's head, the front and center person was a beautiful bleach blonde girl who bumped the ball midair sending it soaring back. This time towards me.

I bent down low, my hand clasped together, and the ball came in contact. I hit it, not trying to hit it any harder than a human's speed, however, it was a little less than I had expected. The ball hit the net on our side instead, plunking back into the sand.

I immediately felt embarrassed, my cheeks aflame. No one grilled me, but a few, loud cheers rattled from over on the other team, "Go, Leslie!"

But Jacob stood solid and my team was countering the jeers from the other side. Renaldo walked across the way towards me, and gave me encouraging smile.

"Try this," he said over-politely. I didn't have time to protest before Renaldo was behind me, and pressed himself against me. His hands came around and straightened out my arms, his hands lingering on my skin for a second too long.

"Keep your hands together, not clasped, and keep your thumbs flat," he advised.

I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see—I knew how to play volleyball. I played it very well. Just vampire-volleyball. I was too busy trying to keep my hit soft that I didn't anticipate its speed. It was too slow.

Well, not making it over the net was better than having the volleyball rip a whole through the net, soar through the skies, burning out the atmosphere. I suddenly felt less embarrassed.

"I got it," I told Renaldo confidently, pushing him gently off me. I was sick of guys hitting on me.

He took his place next to me on the field, and I looked up and Jacob's eyes met mine.

I could tell he was unsettled. He was very protective of me, and Renaldo crossed his boundaries. I gave Jacob a shrug that said _Forget about it_ and I got back into stance, already disliking the spiky-haired, wiry, blonde boy who had a name that didn't even match his ethnicity at all. What pale, blond guy was named Renaldo?

The game followed for several more rounds, back-and-forth, back-and-forth. Sometimes the ball came at me, in which I hit it with impressive impact, sending it back on the red team's side, out of their reach. Jacob did the same; he kept the ball considerably low, aiming it towards me, in which I would gain a point. He gave me winks and continued to inconspicuously let my team win. I had to attempt very hard not to let my eyes wander down on his gorgeous half-naked body and set my focus back on the game.

I got us four of our points and was gaining cheers and the respects of my teammates.

However, that blonde, Leslie, next to Jacob kept bothering me. She was the best on their team, and every time she scored a point, would look all smug and say something offensive to my team in her high, unattractive voice.

And what made my blood boil hot under my skin was that she kept hitting on Jacob.

I watched with rage as after Leslie scored another point, she got back into a low stance, her behind pushed out far in her tight shorts, flipping her golden locks over shoulder. It was for Jacob.

Thankfully, he wasn't looking at her. However, that simply made Leslie try even harder. I pitied her actually, knowing Jacob would never go for superficial, reprehensible blondes like her.

I guess this is what Jacob felt when guys hit on me. Jealously. I didn't like it at all, watching that blonde throw herself at my Jacob.

It threw off my game, as well. I scored less and once forgot the ball was even coming towards me, and it went right past my head.

It enraged me even more when I saw it was Leslie's pass.

The game continued, and we were both nearing ten points. At some point we were tied at nine, and it got more intense amongst my team members.

Leslie kept agitating me with her wins and with he attempts to hit on Jake.

Her team had finally scored the ninth point, causing her and her team to explode in cheers. She turned to Jacob and gave him a double high-five. He complied politely, hitting back, but quick to turn away from her.

Leslie caught his arm and said something to Jacob I tell was flirtatious and shallow like she was. I just knew it.

Her hands lingered on his skin in a way that infuriated me so badly, I stomped over to where the ball had landed in the sand by the front and center player on my team, backed up, threw the ball up in the air, pulled my hand back, and then struck, sending the ball towering over the net with extraordinary force.

My anger was released but what happened next completely disgruntled me.

The red team wasn't looking until the ball was already over their net. And it was headed towards one player particularly.

"LESLIE, watch out!" A girl shrieked, but that girl was too late. Leslie turned around just in time to get whammed in the face by my ball.

I watched in horror as Leslie got shot back into the sand, the ball making a thunderous, hollow smack against her face.

My body locked into place when all the sand had settled, I saw her face bloody, her hands clamped to her nose.

_Oh my god! What did I do!_

Everyone began to rush over to Leslie, who was crying out loudly with pain. Renaldo was the last one to her, besides me, and sat her up, pressing a beach towel gingerly to her face.

I was the only one left on my side of the net.

My eyes found Jacob who was standing over the crowd of people. But to my surprise, shock, amazement, and relief, a smile was playing at the ends of his lips. He was holding back a laugh!

I felt more relieved. He thought it was funny.

Somehow, I managed to find the strength to move my legs and I bolted for the other side of the net.

Jacob quickly found me and grasped my hand. "It's okay, Ness," he murmured almost unintelligibly into my ear and I felt relaxed but still awful for doing that to Leslie.

She was a mess and the teams were trying to bring her to her feet. Blood was dripping down her neck, and I felt a low smolder in the back of my throat. I hadn't hunted in a while, but I wasn't a human-oriented half-vampire to begin with. I haven't tasted human blood before. But it was not bad at all; it just sidetracked my attention from feeling super blameful.

Two of the guys managed to bring her to her feet, and Renaldo took of the beach towel from her face.

I hissed with sympathy at the sight. Her face, besides being caked in blood, was bruised also around her nose and eyes. It had to be broken.

However, someone on the field was a medical major at the college from around hear and declined a broken nose. I felt so awful, regardless! I hurt an innocent human! Well, not that _innocent_, but you know what I mean!

However, Jacob was beside me the whole time, holding back chuckles, and kept my nerves under control.

I didn't understand his stillness.

Leslie would be fine, the boy had said. They were going to wash her up and ice her nose and she'll be fine. I breathed deeply and accepted I had hurt a human being.

"I am so sorry, Leslie," I called, finally finding my voice, as a couple people walked with her towards the bathrooms.

She didn't hear me but Renaldo was quick to come to my side. "No worries, Vanessa," he said. "Leslie has broken more bones than any of us combined and has sustained lots of injuries. She'll be fine." He was the overly-helpful type, and I was still annoyed with him from before.

"Thanks, Renaldo," I sighed. "Please tell her that I _am_ sorry." He nodded and agreed, and he and his friends began to pack up their stuff, taking sown the volleyball net.

Jacob was steering me away from the commotions and we made it silently up onto the boardwalk.

Immediately after we were away from the college kids, Jacob released a loud, hearty, laugh, hugging me and his eyes watering.

"Oh my god," he laughed. "Where did you learn to hit like that, Nessie?" his words were interrupted by another round of laughter.

"How is that funny!" I yelped.

He took deep breaths. "I thought _I_ was the jealous type! _Jesus Christ_, Nessie, you really _are_ the daughter of Edward Cullen!" He was grinning brightly at me, and in any other situation except for this one it would have drove me wild, raising my pulse. But now, it worried me of his contentedness with me knocking a girl out with a volley ball!

I shook my head, "I'm not following."

"Nessie," he said. "I'm not blind. You didn't like that girl because she was hitting on me."

I felt a little less confident. "So you did notice her?"

"Well, obviously. I think I can tell when a girl is throwing herself onto me." He stared off into space. "Desperate bitches."

I laughed, "But I hurt her, Jacob. How is that excusable?"

Jacob wasn't laughing anymore, came close, and bent down to my level. His face was inches from mine and his words were low and careful.

"Nessie," he said sincerely. "You are the nicest, sweetest, most good-hearted person I have ever met. You experienced your first jealous encounter, so what?" I was feeling less awful about Leslie; meanwhile, another sensation was creeping up on me besides guilt. "What matters is that you know you did wrong. Plus...who wouldn't forgive this face?"

Jacob was already so close; I didn't have time to react to his lips lightly kissing mine. His words had rendered me speechless; I didn't have the capacity to kiss him. I enjoyed it anyway, and sighed.

"Alright," I breathed. "I'm fine."

Jacob gave me a wink, slipped his hand into mine, and led us through the crowd again; the sun was going down finally, the blue skies morphing into hot orange and yellow hazed, purple on the horizon.

I have always had a sweet disposition as a people person, but I guess when it came to people coming in between Jacob and I, I couldn't care enough to be reasonable.

The evening air and boardwalk were cooling down, as so was I. Yes, it was my fault, but Leslie was asking for it. Flaunting herself in front of my….boyfriend like that.

Jacob wrapped an arm around my shoulder and kissed my hair, "Would you like something cold to eat?"

I was still sweaty from the game and an ice cream sounded delicious. "Sure."

Jacob introduced me to this different kind of ice cream called Polish Water Ice. It was like a cross between ice cream, yogurt, and sherbet, having sweet, sugary flavors. Jacob ordered for me, mixing mango with watermelon for me, and it was the best thing I had ever tasted. I took a lick of his strawberry and contently kept up, walking with Jake, licking my Polish dessert.

When twilight went over the beach, I started to feel a shiver up my spine. Jacob felt my goose bumps and held me right up against his smoldering, warm side, and the cold was soon gone and I felt enveloped by his heat.

I was relaxed. I was over another bad, public experience. And I was ready for bed.

_No more random jealous beach volleyball games with blode attention hogs_, I told myself. It was a very precise request so I knew I'd never run into another situation like that.

The night ran cool and quiet, and my heart went loud and fast. Jacob held me the whole ride home in his arms.

I remember very little. Hitting the bed and blankets, still in my clothes, I wrapped myself up and felt Jacob climb in beside me.

I was too tired to say anything, however Jacob said it all.

"Goodnight, Nessie," he murmured. "You are an angel no matter what you do, honey. But, seriously, try to not beat up anymore girls' faces with beach tools that are enamored by my hotness."

I smiled into his shirt material. "Nice, Jake. I'm sorry about that-jealously is not something I'm use to."

"I love you, Nessie," Jacob said. "Nothing else matters, right?"

"Right," I replied. "I love you, too...Now go to sleep, Jake, I'm exhausted."

"Already two steps ahead of you," was the response, followed by stillness, and then a light snore. I wish I could sleep as heavy and easily as him...

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**Chapter's Song: "Sweet Disposition" -The Temper Trap**

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**AN: So, what do you think of everything? Review!**


	23. You Drive Me Wild

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**_Chapter Twenty-Three: You Drive Me Wild_**

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**_AN: Here's part 1 of 2 of the finale chapters before we take our little brake until mid-September. Enjoy! _**

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Jacob had woken me up a few mornings later and told me to get ready to go. He was always surprising me with things lately, however, this time he didn't give me any hints, and just told me to get dressed and that we were leaving.

We ate breakfast downstairs in an empty dining hall, and the entire time I studied his face. Not only because his face was so beautiful, but because it showed no traces of mischievousness. A small, happy smile played his lips, and I wasn't worried about today. I was lightly excited for what was going on. But at the same time, I wanted to just know what we were doing for a change.

My "road trip life" that I had with Jake was planned _by_ him and Alice. I had no idea how long we'd be in California; just that our Los Angeles stay was for another week and a half.

When we were finished with breakfast, Jacob pulled me out of my chair and took my hands.

He was looking at me in a way I understood.

I smiled and acted for him, getting closer to his body and his face. However, he took the move, and cupped my cheek, gazing into my eyes with those dark chocolate pools of obscurity.

The several times Jacob has kissed me so far were all chaste kisses. Soft, warm, and affection, and I had no problem with that. I just wished he showed that he wanted me more often.

My arousal flare ups were becoming more intense now that I had a taste of the best. My dreams and mind fantasies were hot and long, causing a throb between my legs. Nothing could mend the feeling; I just had to wait it out, think of things that didn't arouse me. Captain Crunch in a string bikini would only hold me down for so long.

I couldn't take it anymore.

"Kiss me, Jacob," I murmured.

His eyes told me he had no more intention of waiting. His lips were at mine in split second, with soft, yielding forces that kept me on edge.

It was –as always- sinfully good.

I closed my eyes and move my lips against his. We moved in perfect synchronization, taking turns for who got to be in between each other's lips. I never got tired of it.

It was just so good, I couldn't help myself. I pressed my body flush to his hard, muscled, warm front and my hands crept up to his shoulders, clinging. They continued to go up his neck, feeling the tendons, meanwhile my lips moved fervently, and I then placed my fingers in his hair, securing him to my face.

Jacob growled low against my lips, and my desire hitched up a notch. I was rubbing my thighs to create some friction against my throb.

And then I did two things that got me in trouble.

Firstly, against the kiss, I let the tip of my tongue lightly trace his bottom one, and the taste floored me. I was dizzy, the room spinning beyond my tightly closed eyes.

Secondly, the arousal was so hard and intense, I pressed my front into his—something I simply couldn't help.

I didn't move or anything; just pressed myself there and soon felt Jacob tear himself from me and when I dizzily opened my eyes, I found him a few feet away, breathing hard. I noticed mine was even more ragged.

"Nessie," he breathed heavily. "That-that's too fast, honey."

My first natural reaction is to feel rejected. I couldn't help that either. I felt my face frown slightly, my eyebrows mashing together, and I felt the sting of moisture in my eyes.

That just stung, ultimately.

"Oh." The sound was sharp and insecure.

"Nessie" he mumbled, coming close again and pulling me into an embrace, however, my arms stayed at my sides like noodles. "I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean that in a bad way."

I felt so awful for being unsettled by this—but things just hurt, you know.

"I know, Jake," I said roughly, feeling an embarrassed blush heat my face. "But…"

"But, what?" he reasoned.

I waited for a near minute and then cleared my dry throat, "How do you think of me?"

"What do you mean, Ness?"

I blinked back the wetness. "You don't want me that way?"

When I finally looked up to study Jake's face, it was a front of blunt confusion. "Of course I want you, Ness," he said uneven, his voice affected my something I couldn't put my finger on. "You drive me crazy."

"I want you like this, Nessie," he admitted. "It's just; things are going too fast for you." He looked sheepish and hesitant to admit what he does, however it confused me.

If anyone knew how fast or slow things should or shouldn't be going, it was me, right? Jacob knew me better than I knew myself, but that part of me was new. I was still figuring everything out, but I knew how fast we were going, most definitely.

Jacob was always slow and gentle with me. Was that I wanted?

"Jacob," I said. "Nothing is too fast for me, okay?"

He gave me a doubtful, reproachful look. "Nessie, you're new to this." And then came the strong, unyielding alpha tone that made my knees buckle. "We _need_ to go _slow_."

What I wouldn't give to just kiss him right now. The alpha tone was burning me in a way I most definitely enjoyed, the way it made my muscles lock in place, and my head spun. It was an attractive sound, indeed.

On top of that, I simply wanted to kiss him until the stars went blue already. If this was hell, I'd take it a million times over just because I got to be near him.

But it stung, regardless. And I felt my face set up into an unmovable pout.

"Nessie," he murmured again. I felt the tips of his fingers under my jaw, lifting my face up to his. It was hard to be upset when looking at a face like that. Under him in size, he dominated me, and in a way—I liked it.

That sparked a flood of hot kissing visuals I had to push away. It was hard to be near him without feeling that spark.

But when I looked up into Jake's eyes, I was expecting a pair of questioning eyes, but instead, they were dark, and seemed to dilate. It aroused me further, seeing how his eyes seemed to get bigger with each intake of my face.

I bit my lip. "Yes?"

Jake's eyes settled on my lips.

"Kiss me, Nessie."

"What?" I asked, smiling.

"Kiss me. I guess that's the only way you'll know how much I love you," he said simply, like his words were nothing. But they meant the word to me.

He didn't need to tell me a third time. And so I kissed him. I stood up on my tippy-toes and pressed my lips softly to his, my hands already gripped on his shoulders.

However, he wasn't as passive as he usually was. He complied with my kiss with tremendous enthusiasm, lifting me off my feet, a hand resting on the small of my back, the other's fingers in my hair.

Jacob's lips were strong and forceful—and oh how I liked it.

He gripped me tight, my feet dangling in the air; meanwhile his lips forcibly moved mine with his, my arousal is flames. Meanwhile, I held on to him for dear life.

I also made a small sound in the back of my throat. It came out like a whimper, but not a pained sound. Much different—it showed how much I was enjoying this kiss.

And at that sound, Jacob quietly growled and kissed me harder and deeper, however, his hands stayed right where he put them; somehow my body remained off of his, though. My hands and lips were the only thing touching him. And I was dying to simply be against him.

Finally, after what seemed like a wonderful century, Jacob's lips released mine gradually, and he softly set me back down my feet.

I blinked my eyes open, to clear a dizzy haze. I felt my lips slightly plumper then usual. They were slightly swollen.

Once my eyes were clear, I saw Jacob's face full of lust.

"How about that?" he asked roughly.

I was dazed and disoriented—not able to remember my own name, it seemed. However, I found my voice and mumbled, "Whoa."

Jacob chuckled heartily into my ear, placing a kiss at the hollow, base of my neck tenderly. Oh my god, this man was killing me!

"Whoa, is right," he chuckled. "Now, does that make you believe how much I really do want you?"

I was nodding my head like a rag-doll, afraid of slurring my words, "Definitely."

"Good," he said happily. "However, you have to know that we are going slowly in this. I am not doing that again, Ness. Not until we are ready, okay?" His eyes told me he was set on this proposition and he wasn't going to change it anytime soon.

Trying hard not to pout, I murmured, "Yes, Jacob. I know."

He nodded appreciably, "Alright, Ness," he sighed. "Let's go." "He smiled and gave me an impish wink before pulling my hand towards the door."_You_ have a big day ahead of you."

"What do you mean?" I asked confusedly.

Jacob was being a smooth operator now, giving me only hints. He usually did that when he had a big event planned, up his sleeve.

"Oh, you'll see, honey," he grinned. "You'll see."

I was wide-eyed and concerned during the entire car ride. I didn't know where he was taking me; I didn't know how to respond to his coy, elusiveness.

And so I sat there in shotgun, my mind racing over the possibilities of what we were going to do.

When Jacob pulled into a strip mall, I was utterly bemused, giving Jacob a questioning look.

He chuckled, "C'mon."

I slowly got out of the car and into the warm, sunny afternoon. Jacob came around to my side, winked, and took my hand. We crossed the parking lot and entered a little dress shop on the corner of the mall.

It was a small, neat, air-conditioned store that was stocked with beautiful outfits and other knick-knacks for beautification.

"Alright, Nessie," Jacob said. "Pick out whatever you like."

I turned around to face him, my head cocked to the side. "What?"

"Seriously, pick anything," he repeated. "I want you to feel special tonight." I felt something slide into my hand that wasn't his hand. It was something plastic. A credit-card.

A million things ran through my head. One of them was how aloof Jake was being, and why he wanted me to buy a new outfit.

"Oh….kay," I simpered, snorting. I was smiling with slight joy, but still mystified.

I also decided that whatever he was planning, it needed a little setback. I was into trickery and guessing games as much as he was. I'd play along.

"Alright, Jacob," I sighed. "But you're going to have to leave, I'm afraid." I placed a sorry look on my face, holding back my smile successfully.

That threw him in for a loop. "I am not leaving you be for a second, Nessie," he retorted strongly, alpha-Jake coming out slightly.

I kept going, though, "I'll be right here. Next door is an automotive shop, nothing's going to happen to me," I said.

For a long moment, we stood by the doors, and stared each-other. I had a strong feeling I'd win this disagreement, but I'd never be sure with Jacob.

He sighed long and hard. "Alright, Ness," he gave in. "I'll go next door. But I will be listening in and ready to come over here in case of emergency. Don't talk to anyone, either." He was very much an alpha when he was stern.

I rolled my eyes, "Yes, Mother, I won't."

At that, he cracked a smile. "I'll be back in an hour."

"Okay, Jake," I said, turning him around by the shoulders, pushing him towards the doors. "Have fun with some Pennzoil and funnels then come back."

He grinned, "Not before I get a kiss, though."

That happily surprised me. Before Jacob left through the front doors, he leaned down and pecked my lips softly, making me want more. "See you then," he uttered against them. And he disappeared, leaving me along and dazed again.

A part of me regretted letting him go.

On a happy cloud, I mindlessly went through the shopping racks, not knowing what I was supposed to be buying myself. A lot of these things seemed a little pricey, but I guess that's how I managed to find an outfit for tonight.

Jacob wouldn't have taken me here unless it was an important occasion.

I had an armful of choices when I entered the dressing room. A range of colors and styles to choose from and in the end I was down to two dresses; a strapless black mini and a cute, haltered red one.

After several minutes of going back and forth between the two, I finally chose the red one because Jacob liked that color specifically as I recalled. Plus, the black one was a little too "unbecoming" as Alice would say. It was too short and too low cut.

After that I moved onto shoes. There wasn't much to choose from to match my dress, so I went with a pair of simple, black heels that fit quite comfortably.

At the jewelry counter, several women tried to lure me into buying diamonds, but that's not what I wanted. I ended up with some dangling black earrings and a matching necklace.

Finally, at the check-out register I placed everything up on the counter and felt quite pleased with it all. Everything fit well and matched nicely, and all-in-all was not overtly expensive. While the girl was ringing me out, my eyes honed in on a tube of silver.

Twisting it open I found the lipstick color was devil-red. A visually appealing color that actually made my eyes slightly water, and so without further contemplation I tossed it up on top of my pile. I would have to find out how that would look on me.

"Thank you," I called back at the polite cashier and stepped back out into the muggy, late-afternoon, after I was done paying, carrying my blue bag of clothes I had no idea where I was going to wear them.

Jacob was lounging by a stone pillar and nearly jumped he saw me, taking in my big, baby blue bag.

"I don't know who the hell Charlotte Russe is, but I'm guessing that meant you found something you like, huh?" he grinned.

I laughed, "Yes, Jacob."

We started to walk to the Ferrari, Jacob wordlessly taking my other hand, making me feel ten times better with just that small act of affection.

"Now," I started. "Can you tell me where exactly we are going tonight?"

Jacob was hard and simple. "Nope."

"Not at all?"

"Not at all," he confirmed. "You're just going to have to wait and see."

I almost groaned. "Fine, Jacob. I'll wait." I opened my door and tossed my blue bag in the back seat. "Just be prepared for some impatient waiting, though,' I added.

During the entire twenty minute ride home, I tried my best to persuade Jacob to inform me of tonight's plans. I begged and bargained—however, he had no interest in sharing his arrangement with me.

By the time we made it back to the hotel, I was dry-mouthed and tired from all my talking. Jacob happily led me up to our room, completely uninflected by my tangents.

"Just get ready," he told me. "You'll know soon enough now."

I sighed, slipping off my shoes and hearing my toes crack at the freedom. "Alright." I entered the bathroom, and immediately went to work getting ready.

After a quick shower, I did the basics. I brushed my teeth and hair meticulously, and started to pull out members of my blue bag. Firstly, I put on my bra and underwear, and unzipped my red dress.

Stepping into it, I felt the buttery material hug my body comfortable, and zipping it was a breeze. With one look in the mirror, I was grinning with how good I actually looked.

With my brush, I hurriedly blew dry my hair with the hotel dryer. It was a hot, fluffy heap when I was done with and went to town attacking it with the brush some more.

I dug through my duffle bag until I found a couple hair clips Alice packed for me and went through different, possible hairstyles for tonight.

Since my outfit was so loud, I decided to play my hair simple. I took the small clips and pulled back half of my hair and pinned it, freeing the front of my face of my hair and bangs completely. It was fresh. I looked pretty.

I leaned down to zip up my duffle, when something else inside caught my attention. I pushed a pair of jeans away to pull out a white dress.

Comparing the beautiful, simplicities of both dresses, I made a snap decision to change. The red one was beautiful; I just didn't think it was appropriate for whatever we were doing tonight.

I just had a feeling it wouldn't be.

I changed dresses, liking the breathability of the cotton dress and the way it flawlessly match my hairstyle. The jewelry was next, and I happily found they went with the white just as much as the red dress.

Slipping into my heels, I felt the outfit all tie together.

All that was left was to try out my lipstick. I pulled out the silvery tube, twisting the lipstick up and lightly rubbed it on my bottom lip.

I was buzzing with joy at the harmony it gave my face. The red made the black and white contrast of my outfit that extra _pop_ it needed.

I covered my lips in two coats of the lipstick, to where my lips soon resembled tomatoes, it seemed. But it highlighted my face very well, seeing how I was so pale and my hair seamlessly matched its intensity.

I took in my full image in the full length mirror on the back of the door. I had to admit—I looked pretty sweet. Everything went so nicely and made me feel….beautiful.

I felt beautiful.

Sighing, I pushed all my bags under the sink-counter and fussed over my hair once more before slowly opening the door.

Jacob was sitting by the window, looking down at the parking lot. He was dressed in his best pants, and a black dress shirt I had never seen before on him.

I melted where I stood. He was very strapping.

I cleared my throat. "Jacob?"

He whipped around to see me.

Jacob looked at me as through I were a lost work of Michael Angelo. His face seemed to be laced with bewilderment as he took in my full figure.

"Wow," he whispered to himself. I felt my face burn up. He raked over me one more time before his eyes settled on mine finally.

"Wow," he repeated again. "Nessie," Jacob said. "You look amazing, honey."

I felt my cheeks go aflame and my smile turned abash. "Thank you, Jacob. You look very dashing yourself."

However, he didn't comprehend what I was saying really. He was still looking at my clothes and my face and the image I was putting off.

"I mean," he added. "You are _always_ beautiful, Nessie. It's just I don't get to see you very often all dolled up." The way his smile madd me feel was something I'd take over my own right health. "I would wait an eternity to see you like this."

I grinned, "Thank you, Jacob."

He winked at me, and closed the distance between us. Without word, he took my hand and spun my around softly, letting me do a 360 for him to see, leaving me momentarily dizzy.

He kept my hand, and gazed into my eyes. "You are _so_ beautiful." Jacob leaned down and gave my red cheek a soft kiss.

"Now. Let's go," he murmured into my ear.

I sighed contentedly. "Alright, Jacob. But, for the love of god, will you tell me _now_ why I am all dressed up, confused as hell, and can't seem to figure any of it out?"

He chucked and looked at me oddly, "I thought it'd be obvious for you, Ness. I was afraid you already knew."

"No," I snorted. "I don't, and I have been dying to know."

Jacob waited a moment to answer me, his other hand resting on the doorknob. He looked at me cheerfully and spoke.

"We're going on our first date."

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**Chapter's Song: "You Drive Me Wild" -The Runaways **Veraleeon, you better shout to to The Runaways. :P Haha**

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**AN: Review! I'll post part 2 later on today for you guys! I was much busier with school planning to edit chapter 24, so I'll do that and post it as soon as I can. **


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